Meaning & use
posses
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“posses” is a form of “posse”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralAmerican
Groups of citizens called together by a sheriff to help catch a criminal or keep order, especially in the old American West.
Grammar: Plural of posse: two posses rode out.
Patterns
- form posses
- posses of men
Sheriffs once formed posses to chase outlaws across the plains.
Two posses set out in different directions at dawn.
In old films the posses always ride hard.
nounpluralinformalhumorous
Groups of friends or companions who spend time together, often used in a playful way.
Grammar: Informal; each posse is a close-knit group.
Patterns
- posses of friends
The rival posses met at the skate park.
Both singers arrived with their posses.
Different posses of students gathered in the cafeteria.
nounplural
Organized groups gathered to pursue a shared goal, such as searching for a missing person.
Grammar: A general use: search posses.
Patterns
- search posses
Volunteer posses combed the woods for the lost hikers.
Community posses patrolled the neighborhood after the break-ins.
The town organized posses to check the flooded roads.
Word forms
| singular | posse |
|---|
Common combinations
- form posses
- Neighbors formed posses to find the missing dog.
- rival posses
- Rival posses roamed the school halls.
- search posses
- Search posses spread across the hills.
- armed posses
- Armed posses chased the gang.
- posses of volunteers
- Posses of volunteers helped after the storm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gangs
- Gangs usually suggest criminal or tough groups, while posses can be harmless friends or lawful search parties.
- crews
- Crews are groups working or hanging out together, with more sense of a task than posses.
- squads
- Squads are organized teams with a defined purpose, such as police or sport.
- entourages
- Entourages are groups that follow an important person, which is narrower than posses.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: posses or possesses?
posses vs possesses
Possesses is the verb he possesses, meaning owns; posses is the plural of posse, a group.
Practice
In old Westerns, sheriffs gathered armed ___ to chase outlaws.
Choose one answer.
Posses are groups of citizens called together by a sheriff. Possessions means owned things and is a tempting but wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “posses”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.