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positivism
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possess

pos·sess [ pə zéss ] (past and past participle pos·sessed, present participle pos·sess·ing, 3rd person present singular pos·sess·es)


transitive verb 
Definition:
 
1. own something: to have or own something

2. have something as ability: to have something as an ability, quality, or characteristic

3. have knowledge of something: to have or acquire skill or knowledge of something

4. take control of somebody: to take control of somebody so that the person's behavior or thinking is affected
possessed by fear and unable to speak

5. fill somebody with an emotion: to cause somebody to be influenced by something, especially an emotion
The news possessed us with foreboding.

6. control feeling: to control yourself or a feeling ( formal )

7. have sex with somebody: to have sexual intercourse with somebody ( dated ) ( sometimes considered offensive )

8. seize something: to gain or seize something ( archaic )

[14th century. Via Old French possesser< Latin possess-, past participle of possidere "sit on as head" < sedere "sit"]

pos·ses·sor noun
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