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unpossessed

unpossessed

8.3
Free from ownership, control or influence
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈpɒsɛst/
translation icon : no poseído
  • The abandoned house stood unpossessed, waiting for a new owner.

Examples

  • It was inspiring in a painful, anxiety-making way, the thought of that gold going unclaimed, unpossessed.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • In truth, we are the unpossessed, the unpossessable.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The unpossessed nature of the land allowed wildlife to thrive without human interference.

  • After years of neglect, the unpossessed artwork in the gallery captured the attention of many visitors.

Synonyms

unowned
vsunpossessed
1 4.8

Not belonging to anyone

is broader, also lacking control or outside influence
uncaptured
vsunpossessed
1 5.8

Not caught or recorded, for example by a camera

focuses on not being caught or recorded rather than lacking ownership or control

Antonyms

1.1

A thing that has an owner, like a car or company

Kept within limits by careful management

How Controlled

possessed
6.4
owned
1.1
unpossessed
8.3
independent
360 2.8

Surface Forms

unpossessed positive

Morphology

unpossessed = possessed (transparent) = un + possess + ed

The word is formed by adding the negative prefix 'un-' to 'possessed' (owned/controlled), an immediately clear derivation.

Etymology

Unpossessed is made from un- meaning 'not' and possessed, from an old word meaning 'to have' or 'own'. So land or things that are unpossessed are 'not owned' or 'not controlled' by anyone.