"prepossessing" meaning in English

See prepossessing in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Forms: more prepossessing [comparative], most prepossessing [superlative]
Etymology: From pre- + possess. 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". Etymology templates: {{com|en|pre-|possess}} pre- + possess Head templates: {{en-adj}} prepossessing (comparative more prepossessing, superlative most prepossessing)
  1. Tending to invite favor; attracting confidence, favor, esteem, or love; attractive Translations (tending to invite favour; attractive): привлекателен (privlekatelen) (Bulgarian), предразполагащ (predrazpolagašt) (Bulgarian), aangenaam (Dutch), прия́тный (prijátnyj) [masculine] (Russian), располага́ющий (raspolagájuščij) [masculine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-prepossessing-en-adj-czM41DSp Disambiguation of 'tending to invite favour; attractive': 95 5
  2. (archaic) Causing prejudice. Tags: archaic
    Sense id: en-prepossessing-en-adj-t2V-xYt6 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 44 56 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 36 64 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 39 61 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 30 70 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 27 73
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  "etymology_text": "From pre- + possess. 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\".",
  "forms": [
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      "form": "more prepossessing",
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        "comparative"
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      "form": "most prepossessing",
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "a prepossessing manner",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume II, chapter 15:",
          "text": "\"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.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1836, “Boz” [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “The curate. The old lady. The half-pay captain”, in Sketches by “Boz,” Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Macrone, […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "Our curate is a young gentleman of such prepossessing appearance, and fascinating manners, that within one month after his first appearance in the parish, half the young-lady inhabitants were melancholy with religion, and the other half, desponding with love.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “chapter 2”, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett & Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, published 20 March 1852, →OCLC:",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1931, H. P. Lovecraft, chapter 3, in The Whisperer in Darkness:",
          "text": "He was a frank, prepossessing fellow, but I saw that he could add nothing to his original account.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1944 January and February, E. R. McCarter, “The Cairn Valley Light Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 48:",
          "text": "The stations are generally very poor, even for a branch line; some are mere wooden shacks, and Moniaive itself is one of the least prepossessing terminal stations I have ever seen.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tending to invite favor; attracting confidence, favor, esteem, or love; attractive"
      ],
      "id": "en-prepossessing-en-adj-czM41DSp",
      "links": [
        [
          "invite",
          "invite"
        ],
        [
          "favor",
          "favor"
        ],
        [
          "confidence",
          "confidence"
        ],
        [
          "esteem",
          "esteem"
        ],
        [
          "love",
          "love"
        ],
        [
          "attractive",
          "attractive"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "privlekatelen",
          "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
          "word": "привлекателен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "predrazpolagašt",
          "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
          "word": "предразполагащ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
          "word": "aangenaam"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prijátnyj",
          "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "прия́тный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "raspolagájuščij",
          "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "располага́ющий"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "44 56",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "36 64",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "39 61",
          "kind": "other",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "34 66",
          "kind": "other",
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          "_dis": "34 66",
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          "_dis": "30 70",
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          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 73",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Causing prejudice."
      ],
      "id": "en-prepossessing-en-adj-t2V-xYt6",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Causing prejudice."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "prepossessing"
}
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    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations"
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  "etymology_text": "From pre- + possess. 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\".",
  "forms": [
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      "form": "more prepossessing",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
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    },
    {
      "form": "most prepossessing",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
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  "head_templates": [
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      "expansion": "prepossessing (comparative more prepossessing, superlative most prepossessing)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
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        "English terms with usage examples",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "a prepossessing manner",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume II, chapter 15:",
          "text": "\"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.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1836, “Boz” [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “The curate. The old lady. The half-pay captain”, in Sketches by “Boz,” Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Macrone, […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "Our curate is a young gentleman of such prepossessing appearance, and fascinating manners, that within one month after his first appearance in the parish, half the young-lady inhabitants were melancholy with religion, and the other half, desponding with love.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “chapter 2”, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett & Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, published 20 March 1852, →OCLC:",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1931, H. P. Lovecraft, chapter 3, in The Whisperer in Darkness:",
          "text": "He was a frank, prepossessing fellow, but I saw that he could add nothing to his original account.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1944 January and February, E. R. McCarter, “The Cairn Valley Light Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 48:",
          "text": "The stations are generally very poor, even for a branch line; some are mere wooden shacks, and Moniaive itself is one of the least prepossessing terminal stations I have ever seen.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tending to invite favor; attracting confidence, favor, esteem, or love; attractive"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "invite",
          "invite"
        ],
        [
          "favor",
          "favor"
        ],
        [
          "confidence",
          "confidence"
        ],
        [
          "esteem",
          "esteem"
        ],
        [
          "love",
          "love"
        ],
        [
          "attractive",
          "attractive"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Causing prejudice."
      ],
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        "(archaic) Causing prejudice."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "privlekatelen",
      "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
      "word": "привлекателен"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "predrazpolagašt",
      "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
      "word": "предразполагащ"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
      "word": "aangenaam"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prijátnyj",
      "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "прия́тный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "raspolagájuščij",
      "sense": "tending to invite favour; attractive",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "располага́ющий"
    }
  ],
  "word": "prepossessing"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-21 using wiktextract (fef8596 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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