Adjacent Words

Prepossess definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PREPOSSESS', v.t. [pre and possess.] To preoccupy, as ground or land; to take previous possession of.
1. To preoccupy the mind or heart so as to preclude other things; hence, to bias or prejudice. A mind prepossessed with opinions favorable to a person or cause, will not readily admit unfavorable opinions to take possession, nor yield to reasons that disturb the possessors. When a lady has prepossessed the heart or affections of a man, he does not readily listen to suggestions that tend to remove the prepossession. Prepossess is more frequently used in a good sense than prejudice.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: possess beforehand
2: cause to be preoccupied; "The idea of his failure prepossesses him"
3: make a positive impression (on someone) beforehand; "A prepossessing appearance"
4: influence (somebody's) opinion in advance [syn: prejudice, prepossess]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Date: 1614 1. obsolete to take previous possession of 2. to cause to be preoccupied 3. to influence beforehand especially favorably

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 (usu. in passive) (of an idea, feeling, etc.) take possession of (a person); imbue. 2 a prejudice (usu. favourably and spontaneously). b (as prepossessing adj.) attractive, appealing. Derivatives: prepossession n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prepossess Pre`pos*sess", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prepossessed; p. pr. & vb. n. Prepossessing.] 1. To preoccupy, as ground or land; to take previous possession of. --Dryden. 2. To preoccupy, as the mind or heart, so as to preclude other things; hence, to bias or prejudice; to give a previous inclination to, for or against anything; esp., to induce a favorable opinion beforehand, or at the outset. It created him enemies, and prepossessed the lord general. --Evelyn.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Preoccupy, have prior possession of. 2. Bias, prejudice, give previous inclination to for or against.

Moby Thesaurus

absorb, adopt, appropriate, arrogate, assume, bend, bias, busy, colonize, conquer, distort, engage, engross, enslave, hog, imbue, immerse, indent, influence, involve, jaundice, jump a claim, make free with, make use of, monopolize, occupy, overrun, preempt, preengage, prejudice, prejudice against, prejudice the issue, preoccupy, requisition, sit on, soak, squat on, subjugate, sway, take all of, take it all, take over, take possession of, take up, twist, usurp, warp