possession
n. C / Un. something that you own or have with you. It can also mean the act of holding or owning something, like a ball in a game.
n. the state of having, owning, or controlling something; also refers to an item belonging to someone. Often used in sports to describe which team or player has control of the ball.
Please make sure you have all your personal possessions before leaving.
The home team had possession of the ball for most of the second half but failed to score.
The legal dispute centered on whether physical possession of the deed was sufficient evidence of ownership in the absence of a formal contract.
From Latin possessiō, possessiōnis. Equivalent to possess + -ion.
Countable when referring to individual items ('many possessions'); uncountable when referring to the state of owning or holding something ('in his possession').
The team lost the possessions.The team lost possession.In a sports context, the state of holding the ball is uncountable; 'possessions' usually refers to physical objects like bags or clothes.