Standard Lemma guide

self-possessed

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

In full control of one's faculties, and having a firm belief in one's abilities; confident, assured and poised.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

in full control of your faculties

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the witness remained collected throughout the cross-examination
  • perfectly poised and sure of himself
  • more self-contained and more dependable than many of the early frontiersmen
  • strong and self-possessed in the face of trouble

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: collected, equanimous, poised, self-collected, self-contained

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbh-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English possessed English self-possessed From self- + possessed.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: memrega — in full control of one's faculties
  • Macedonian: сталожен (staložen) — in full control of one's faculties
  • Polish: opanowany — in full control of one's faculties
  • Polish: spokojny — in full control of one's faculties
  • Russian: со́бранный (sóbrannyj) — in full control of one's faculties
  • Russian: не теря́ющий самооблада́ния (ne terjájuščij samoobladánija) — in full control of one's faculties
  • Russian: владе́ющий собо́й (vladéjuščij sobój) — in full control of one's faculties
  • Russian: вы́держанный (výderžannyj) — in full control of one's faculties