Possessió

Possessió is a term used in Catalan and other Romance languages to denote possession—the state of having or exercising control over something. It can refer to tangible property, such as land or a vehicle, as well as intangible rights or resources. In everyday language possessió is distinct from ownership: a person may possess a thing without owning it, and ownership may exist without current possession.

In legal contexts, possession describes actual control of a thing and may be protected by law against interference. Depending on the jurisdiction, possession can provide rights to use or recover the item. Prolonged, uninterrupted possession can also lead to legal recognition of ownership through prescription or similar mechanisms, even without a formal title.

Etymology: possessió derives from Latin possessio, from posse "to be able" or "to have." It has cognates in several Romance languages, such as Spanish posesión and Portuguese possessão, and it is related to the English word possession.

Usage: the term appears in discussions of property law, tenancy, historical land tenure, and anthropology when analyzing how groups or individuals control resources or artefacts. In academic and legal writing, possessió helps distinguish the practical control of a thing from the broader rights and duties of ownership.

See also: ownership, property, possession (law), tenancy, prescriptive rights.