take possession

English

Verb

take possession (third-person singular simple present takes possession, present participle taking possession, simple past took possession, past participle taken possession) [with of ‘someone’]

1. To become the owner. [with of]
   • 1932, Herbert Faulkner West, A Modern Conquistador:, page 64:

     On June 22 1887, he said, “We look confidently for the time when the Government will take possession of the mines and machinery of this country, and work them for the benefit of the country, and not in the selfish interests of capitalists".

   • 1967, Bernard Rudden, Hywel Moseley, Gerald Dacre Nokes, An outline of the law of mortgages, page 12:

     This is his only remedy, however; unlike the mortgagee, he cannot take possession or foreclose.

   • 2020, Elizabeth Gaskell, The Grey Woman:

     He returned to Lancashire; took possession of the property at Manchester; and many years elapsed before he received the mysterious intimation of his father's real death.

   • 2020, Andre Alexis, Asylum:

     It was the day they were to take possession of their new house in the Glebe.

2. To seize or get control over.
   • 183?, Charles Rollin, The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Grecians, and Macedonians, page 369:

     When he approached near the enemy, his first care was to take possession of an advantageous post.

   • 1894, The Literary Digest - Volume 10:

     The Economist, London, advises the Government to despatch immediately an expedition to take possession of the Upper Nile Valley in the name of England.

   • 1951, United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary, Study of Monopoly Power, page 318:

     The President, in time of war, is empowered, through the Secretary of War, to take possession and assume control of any system or systems of transportation, or any part thereof, and to utilize the same, to the exclusion as far as may be necessary of all other traffic thereon, for the transfer or transportation of troops, war material and equipment, or for such other purposes connected with the emergency as may be needful or desirable.

   • 1995, Bronwyn Williams, Slow Surrender - Volume 643, page 8:

     He'll also take possession of her personal funds and see that she never again expresses an opinion of her own.

   • 2001, Welsh S. White, James J. Tomkovicz, Criminal procedure, page 736:

     They searched the defendant's room and took possession of various papers and articles found there, which were afterwards tumed over to the United States Marshal.

3. To assume responsibility for.
   • 1899, Timothy Dwight, Julian Hawthorne, The World's great classics - Volume 50, page 2:

     On the death of his grandfather, Ferdinand, in 1516, Charles took possession of the throne of Spain by the title of Charles I, his mother, Joanna, being of disordered intellect and incapable of reigning.

   • 1937, Alfred Gordon Bennett, Cinemania: Aspects of Filmic Creation, page 422:

     It is beyond comprehension that he should hesitate long ere resolving to step into and take possession of such a rich and glorious heritage.

   • 2003, Judith Alfrey, Tim Putnam, The Industrial Heritage: Managing Resources and Uses:

     In this sense industrial civilisation is coming to take possession of its own heritage.

4. To become established in.
   • 1860, James Caughey, Ralph William Allen, Showers of Blessing from Clouds of Mercy, page 391:

     There my trouble ended; sweet peace again took possession of my heart; the tide turned in my favor.

   • 1880, James Greenwood, Jack Stedfast, Or, Wreck and Rescue, page 28:

     Strange to say, that her picture vanished from my mind entirely when slumber took possession of me.

   • 1915, Canada. Experimental Farms Service, Report of the Dominion Experimental Farms - Volume 2, page 538:

     The reason for this is that the permanent lawn grasses take several years to get well established, but when they do finally take possession of the ground, the best of results continue for years.

5. To possess; to dominate or control the mind of.
   • 1894, Mrs. Humphry Ward, Marcella, page 422:

     Passion would require to present itself in new forms, if it was now to take possession of him again.

   • 2008, Sarah Richardson, Melanie Cunningham, Broken Boundaries - Stories of Betrayal in Relationships of Care, page 63:

     You took possession of my heart and shattered it You took possession of my body and made it your own You took possession of my soul and raped it

   • 2015, Margarethe von Eckenbrecher, Africa, page 114:

     No Sir, not I, but Satan—who took possession of me and tormented me until I did it.

   • 2015, Margaret Rausch, Bodies, Boundaries and Spirit Possession, page 117:

     That thing took possession of me, a girl of 11. It wouldn't leave me.

Translations

Translations

• Finnish: ottaa haltuun
• French: prendre possession (fr)
• Hungarian: birtokba vesz

Further reading

• “take possession of” (US) / “take possession of” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.