possedere

Possedere is an Italian verb meaning to possess, own, or hold in one’s possession. It is a transitive verb that takes a direct object and can refer to physical property, rights, titles, or other forms of ownership. In everyday language, possessøre is commonly replaced by the verb possedere or, more simply, avere when referring to having something.

The standard noun for possession in Italian is possesso; possessione is a less common, more formal or technical synonym used in legal or historical contexts. The phrase essere in possesso di is used to indicate that someone holds or has possession of something, often in formal or administrative settings.

Possedere is typically contrasted with avere and possedere. Avere is the general verb for “to have” in a broad sense, while possedere emphasizes ownership and control over a thing. Posse dere and its related noun forms are frequently found in legal, economic, and scholarly writing to discuss ownership rights, property, or assets.

Conjugation and form: Pos sedere is an -ere verb, so its regular tenses follow the -ere paradigm and it uses the auxiliary avere in compound tenses. The past participle is posseduto, used with avere to form phrases such as ho posseduto. In sentences where the direct object precedes the verb, the participle may show gender and number agreement (e.g., la casa che ho posseduto).

Etymology: Pos sedere derives from Latin possidere, a form meaning to possess or hold, from an older root related to poder or posse. The Italian vocabulary surrounding possession also includes possesso, possedere, and possessione as related terms.