What does possideō mean in Latin?

possideō, a verb, means “to have, hold, own, possess; to possess lands, have possessions; to take control or possession of, seize, occupy”.

What are the principal parts of possideō?

possideō, possidēre, possēdī, possessum (second conjugation).

How do you pronounce possideō?

In classical Latin, [pɔsˈsɪ.de.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [posˈsiː.de.o].

Where does possideō come from?

Proto-Indo-European *pótis → Proto-Italic *potis → Latin possideō.

Which English words come from possideō?

English words that go back to Latin possideō include possess, possession and possessive.

verbsecond conjugation

possideō

possideō (present infinitive possidēre, perfect active possēdī, supine possessum)

Classical[pɔsˈsɪ.de.oː]Ecclesiastical[posˈsiː.de.o]

Meaning

to have, hold, own, possess
to possess lands, have possessions
to take control or possession of, seize, occupy
to occupy
to inhabit, abide
EcclesiasticalLatinMedieval Latinto acquire
Cor prūdēns possidēbit scientiam: et auris sapientium quaerit doctrīnam. A wise heart shall acquire knowledge: and the ear of the wise seeketh instruction. (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.: 1752 CE)c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.18.15
EcclesiasticalLatinMedieval Latinto inherit
Quī conturbat domum suam, possidēbit ventōs: et quī stultus est serviet sapientī. He that troubleth his own house, shall inherit the winds: and the fool shall serve the wise. (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.: 1752 CEc. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.11.29

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

habeō, teneō

possess

possideō -ēre — in De Bello Gallico II, ch. 2

teneō, meum habeō

possideō -ēre — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 17

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Tenere · Habere · Possidere

Tenere (from τείνειν) means, to have anything fast in one’s hand, and in physical possession; habere (from σχέω) to have in one’s power, and in effective possession; possidere (from ποτί and sedere) to have, as one’s own property, and in legal possession, Plin. Ep. i. 16. Tenet, habet, possidet. (vi. 366.)

Conjugation conjugation 2

active indicative
form	present	imperfect	future	perfect	pluperfect	fut. perfect
1st sg.	possideō	possidēbam	possidēbō	possēdī	possēderam	possēderō
2nd sg.	possidēs	possidēbās	possidēbis	possēdistī	possēderās	possēderis
3rd sg.	possidet	possidēbat	possidēbit	possēdit	possēderat	possēderit
1st pl.	possidēmus	possidēbāmus	possidēbimus	possēdimus	possēderāmus	possēderimus
2nd pl.	possidētis	possidēbātis	possidēbitis	possēdistis	possēderātis	possēderitis
3rd pl.	possident	possidēbant	possidēbunt	possēdērunt possēdēre	possēderant	possēderint

active subjunctive

active subjunctive
form	present	imperfect	perfect	pluperfect
1st sg.	possideam	possidērem	possēderim	possēdissem
2nd sg.	possideās	possidērēs	possēderīs	possēdissēs
3rd sg.	possideat	possidēret	possēderit	possēdisset
1st pl.	possideāmus	possidērēmus	possēderīmus	possēdissēmus
2nd pl.	possideātis	possidērētis	possēderītis	possēdissētis
3rd pl.	possideant	possidērent	possēderint	possēdissent

passive indicative

passive indicative
form	present	imperfect	future
1st sg.	possideor	possidēbar	possidēbor
2nd sg.	possidēris possidēre	possidēbāris possidēbāre	possidēberis possidēbere
3rd sg.	possidētur	possidēbātur	possidēbitur
1st pl.	possidēmur	possidēbāmur	possidēbimur
2nd pl.	possidēminī	possidēbāminī	possidēbiminī
3rd pl.	possidentur	possidēbantur	possidēbuntur

passive subjunctive

passive subjunctive
form	present	imperfect
1st sg.	possidear	possidērer
2nd sg.	possideāris possideāre	possidērēris possidērēre
3rd sg.	possideātur	possidērētur
1st pl.	possideāmur	possidērēmur
2nd pl.	possideāminī	possidērēminī
3rd pl.	possideantur	possidērentur

imperative

imperative
form	active	passive
pres. 2nd sg.	possidē	possidēre
pres. 2nd pl.	possidēte	possidēminī
fut. 2nd sg.	possidētō	possidētor
fut. 3rd sg.	possidētō	possidētor
fut. 2nd pl.	possidētōte	—
fut. 3rd pl.	possidentō	possidentor

infinitives & participles

infinitives & participles
form	active	passive
present infinitive	possidēre	possidērī
perfect infinitive	possēdisse	possessum esse
future infinitive	possessūrum esse	possessum īrī
present participle	possidēns	—
perfect participle	—	possessus possessa, possessā, possessae, possessam, possessārum, possessās, possesse, possessī, possessīs, possessō, possessōrum, possessōs
future participle	possessūrus possessūra, possessūrā, possessūrae, possessūram, possessūrārum, possessūrās, possessūre, possessūrī, possessūrīs, possessūrō, possessūrōrum, possessūrōs, possessūrum	possidendus possidenda, possidendā, possidendae, possidendam, possidendārum, possidendās, possidende, possidendīs, possidendōrum, possidendōs

gerundpossidendī, possidendō, possidendumsupinepossessum, possessū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

rem or opes habere, bona possidere, in bonis esse: to possess means, to be well off.

possĭdĕo (archaic orthogr. POSIDET, Epitaphs of the Scipios; Sentent. de Limit. Genuat. Rudorff; in the latter also POSIDENT, POSIDEBVNT, POSIDETO, POSIDERE, as well as POSEDEIT and POSEDET, for possedit), sēdi, sessum, 2, v. a. old prep. port; Gr. προτί, πρός (v. pono), and sedeo,

I. to have and hold, to be master of, to own, possess (syn.: teneo, habeo).

I. Lit.: uti nunc possidetis eum fundum q. d. a. (i. e. quo de agitur), quod nec vi nec clam nec precario alter ab altero possidetis, ita possidentis: adversus ea vim fieri veto, an ancient formula of the prætor, Fest. p. 233 Müll.: qui in alienā potestate sunt, rem peculiarem tenere possunt, habere et possidere non possunt: quia possessio non tantum corporis, sed etiam juris est, Dig. 41, 2, 49: ex edicto bona possidere, Cic. Quint. 6, 25: partem agri, Caes. B. G. 6, 11: solum bello captum, Liv. 26, 11: Galli Italiam maximis plurimisque urbibus possident, Just. 38, 4, 9: uniones, Plin. 9, 35, 58, § 119.—

b. Absol., to have possessions, to possess lands, be settled: juxta litora maris possidere, Dig. 47, 9, 7: possidere trans flumen, ib. 43, 14, 1.—

B. Transf., for possido, to take possession of, to occupy (very rare except in eccl. and late Lat.): ego possideo plus Pallante, Juv. 1, 108: quot agri jugera? id. 3, 141: ferro septus possidet sedes sacras, Att. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 102; Auct. Her. 1, 11, 19: forum armatis catervis perditorum hominum, Cic. Dom. 42, 110 (dub.): magister, quid faciendo vitam aeternam possidebo, Vulg. Luc. 10, 25: iniqui regnum Dei non possidebunt, id. 1 Cor. 6, 9 et saep. —

2. To occupy, abide in a place (poet.): victrix possidet umbra nemus, Mart. 6, 76, 6: Zephyri possidet aura nemus, Prop. 1, 19, 2; Luc. 2, 454.—

II. Trop., to possess, to have a thing (class.): possidere nomen, Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 27: palmam, id. Most. 1, 1, 31: secli mores in se, id. Truc. prol. 13: inverecundum animi ingenium, Poët. ap. Cic. Inv. 1, 45, 83: plus fidei quam artis, plus veritatis quam disciplinae possidet in se, Cic. Rosc. Com. 6, 17; id. Rosc. Am. 24, 66; Ov. F. 1, 586: possedit favorem plebis Clodius, Val. Max. 3, 5, 3.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European*pótis
Proto-Italic*potis
Latinpossideō

Proto-Indo-European *sed- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *sedéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *sedēō Latin sedeō Latin possideō From potis (“able”) + sedeō (“to sit”). Compare typologically German besitzen (cognate via PIE, see there for more).

Descendants

Catalanposseir
Englishpossess
Frenchposseoirfrom Old French posseeir
Frenchposséder
Italianpossedere
Occitanpossedir
Portuguesepossuir
Romanianposeda
Spanishposeer
Asturianposeyer

In English words that came into English from possideō

possesspossessus
possessionpossessio
possessivepossessivus