Talk:possess

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"To occupy." How would this be used? Equinox ◑ 16:12, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

"The person was possessed by the devil". "occupy" is synonymous here. Collect (talk) 17:22, 12 April 2012 (UTC) ("Occupy" is "to take possession of" MW). Collect (talk) 17:25, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

Seems redundant to the preceding sense, "To take control of someone's body or mind, especially in a supernatural manner", in that case. - -sche (discuss) 18:18, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

Yes, and taking possession is not synonymous with (already) possessing. You wouldn't say "the army possessed the city yesterday" (referring to a specific objective they achieved). Equinox ◑ 20:02, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

The correct def should likely be "to take or retain control" as it is not an act of a single instant in time, but one of a continuation of a state. Collect (talk) 20:31, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

In former times, possess was definitely used in an instantaneous aspect:

Is this purely historical, or are there instances of possess being used in this way more recently? -- Eiríkr Útlendi │ Tala við mig 20:50, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

(deprecated template usage) Take seems to involve more or less a single instant, whereas (deprecated template usage) retain does not. DCDuring TALK 22:02, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

"Possess" is a continuing act -- that is an item once taken and not given back is still "possessed." Collect (talk) 22:11, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

But not in all use cases, as illustrated by the Shakespeare quote, and as remaining in certain modern usages -- "to be possessed of something", for instance, is an extension of the line from Sir Toby -- "possess us" in terms of something like "take us into your confidence, let us know something". In this use, possess refers to the change in state from not knowing, to knowing -- from not having the information, to having it. -- Eiríkr Útlendi │ Tala við mig 22:28, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

{{look}}

Look, and note User_talk:Eirikr#possess. - -sche (discuss) 21:33, 27 June 2012 (UTC)

Struck. - -sche (discuss) 19:09, 1 October 2012 (UTC)

have sex with somebody

to have sexual intercourse with somebody (dated) (sometimes considered offensive) --Backinstadiums (talk) 06:49, 26 September 2020 (UTC)