Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: possesser, from Latin possidere

possess

 verb
     
pos‧sess W3 [transitive not in progressive]
1 formal to have a particular quality or ability:
Different workers possess different skills.
He no longer possessed the power to frighten her.
! In spoken English it is much more usual to use have or have got: He has a lot of talent.
2 formal or law to have or own something:
Neither of them possessed a credit card.
Campbell was found guilty of possessing heroin.
3

what possessed somebody (to do something)?

spoken used to say that you cannot understand why someone did something stupid:
What on earth possessed her to do it?
4 literary if a feeling possesses you, you suddenly feel it very strongly and it affects your behaviour:
A mad rage possessed her.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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