Definition of possession | Collins English Dictionary

possession (pəˈzɛʃən)

the act of possessing or state of being possessed ⇒ in possession of the crown
anything that is owned or possessed
(plural) wealth or property
the state of being controlled or dominated by or as if by evil spirits
the physical control or occupancy of land, property, etc, whether or not accompanied by ownership ⇒ to take possession of a house
a territory subject to a foreign state or to a sovereign prince ⇒ colonial possessions
sport control of the ball, puck, etc, as exercised by a player or team ⇒ he lost possession in his own half

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"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal" Bible: St. Matthew
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"
"Possession is nine points of the law"

British English: possession If you are in possessionof something, you have it, because you have obtained it or because it belongs to you.Those documents are now in the possession of the Guardian newspaper.pəˈzɛʃən NOUN Those documents are now in the possession of the Guardian newspaper.
Spanish: posesión nf
French: possession nf
German: Besitztum nnt Besitztümer
Chinese: 拥有物 n
Arabic: إِمْتِلاك n
Portuguese: posse nf
Russian: обладание nnt
Croatian: vlasništvo nnt
Czech: vlastnictí nnt
Danish: besiddelse nutr
Dutch: bezit nnt
Finnish: omistus n
Greek: κτήση nf
Italian: possesso nm
Japanese: 所有 n
Korean: 소유 n
Norwegian: eiendel nm
Polish: posiadanie nnt
Brazilian Portuguese: posse nf
European Spanish: posesión nf
Swedish: ägodel nutr
Thai: ความเป็นเจ้าของ n
Turkish: mülkiyet n
Vietnamese: sự chiếm hữu n

Forget the war of ideology; the red menace will fade into the background; possession of the black gold is what will determine our fates.
Forbes, Bryan, A Song at Twilight (1989)
The Royal Airforce Sailing Association yesterday took possession of its brand-new J/ 109 at the London International Boat Show at ExCel.
Yachting Boating World (2005)
In November, Eccles sent for the young Childers to tell him that his father had been arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm.
Irish Times (2002)
She was charged with shoplifting and arrested for possession of marijuana when her boyfriend's flat was raided.
Glasgow Herald (2001)
All the qualities I'd thought outside myself and in other people were already in my possession.
Gwyneth Lewis, SUNBATHING IN THE RAIN (2002)