possessed
v. B2 Upper Intermediate US //pəˈzɛst// UK //pəzˈɛst// pos·sessed
v. to have or own something, like a quality, a skill, or a physical object.
v. to have as a property, attribute, or quality; to exercise control or ownership over something.
She possessed a rare talent for painting.
The candidate possessed all the necessary qualifications for the senior management role.
Although the manuscript was centuries old, it possessed a clarity of thought that remained strikingly relevant to modern philosophical debates.
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; it is frequently used in the past tense to describe inherent traits.
Pitfall
He is possessing a carHe possesses a carWhen meaning 'to own', this is a stative verb and is not typically used in the continuous (-ing) form.