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prepossessing

adj

Etymology

From prepossess + -ing. Attested in 1610s with the meaning of "getting possession of (ground or land) beforehand". The meaning "to possess (a person) beforehand with a feeling, notion, etc." developed in 1630s, acquiring by the 40s of the same century the meaning of "to cause (someone) to have a favorable opinion of something, preoccupy the mind or heart of".

  1. derived from *sed-✻ — “to sit”
  2. derived from *pótis✻ — “master; ruler; husband”
  3. derived from possessus — “possessed; seized”
  4. derived from possesser
  5. derived from possesser
  6. inherited from possessen — “to have, own; to obtain possession of; to inhabit, occupy”
  7. prefixed as prepossess — “pre + possess”
  8. suffixed as prepossessing — “prepossess + ing”

Definitions

  1. Tending to invite favor

    Tending to invite favor; attracting confidence, favor, esteem, or love; attractive

    • "I am a great advocate for timidity—and I am sure one does not often meet with it.—But in those who are at all inferior, it is extremely prepossessing."
    • These natural graces in the quadroon are often united with beauty of the most dazzling kind, and in almost every case with a personal appearance prepossessing and agreeable.

  2. Causing prejudice.

  3. present participle and gerund of prepossess

The neighborhood

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sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA