possess
To own or have something.
possess in a sentence
- The dragon was said to possess a mountain of gold coins deep inside its cave.
- Does anyone in the class possess a torch we could borrow for the camping trip?
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to possess?
- Alose
- Black
- Cown
Show the answer
C: own. The other three mean the opposite of possess.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to possess?
- Ahave
- Black
- Chold
- Down
Show the answer
B: lack. The other three mean nearly the same as possess.
Words that mean something similar
own, have, hold
Words that mean the opposite
lack, lose
More words about size & amount
- potent: Very strong and powerful in its effect.
- prosperous: Rich and successful.
- puny: Small and weak.
- robust: Strong, healthy and unlikely to break.
- scanty: Too small in amount, or only just enough.
- scarce: Hard to find because there is very little of it.
- significant: Big or important enough to be worth noticing.
- sparse: Spread out thinly, with only a small amount in each place.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test