- possess
- 1483, "to hold, occupy, reside in" (without regard to ownership), from O.Fr. possessier (1269), from L. possess-, pp. stem of possidere "to possess." Meaning "to hold as property" is recorded from c.1500. Demonic sense is recorded from 1534 (implied in possessed). Possessive first attested 1530 in grammatical sense.