repossess

verb

re·​pos·​sess ˌrē-pə-ˈzes 

 also  -ˈses

repossessed; repossessing; repossesses

transitive verb

1

a

: to regain possession of

b

: to take possession of (something bought) from a buyer in default of the payment of installments due

2

: to restore to possession

repossession

ˌrē-pə-ˈze-shən 

 also  -ˈse-

noun

repossessor

ˌrē-pə-ˈze-sər 

 also  -ˈse-

noun

Synonyms

• get back
• re-collect
• reacquire
• recapture
• reclaim
• recoup
• recover
• regain
• retake
• retrieve

Examples of repossess in a Sentence

The bank repossessed her truck.

if you don't pay off the loan, the bank will come and repossess your car

Recent Examples on the Web

William Daugherty: The Del Valle middle school teacher's car was repossessed during his cancer treatments. —Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 1 Dec. 2024

After months of making only partial payments on his car last year, the credit union repossessed his vehicle in July, and Daugherty spent months taking Uber, often a $60 trip. —Keri Heath, Austin American-Statesman, 24 Nov. 2024

In Kentucky, an office sat on a complaint for months while the borrower’s car was repossessed. —Byard Duncan, ProPublica, 17 Oct. 2024

The vehicle, however, had been repossessed overnight on Friday, Oct. 18. —Marina Watts, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

repossess

verb

re·​pos·​sess ˌrē-pə-ˈzes 

: to regain or retake possession of

repossession

-ˈzesh-ən 

noun

Legal Definition

repossess

transitive verb

re·​pos·​sess ˌrē-pə-ˈzes 

: to regain possession of

especially : to take possession of again by judicial process or self-help upon default of the payment of installments due compare foreclose, seize sense 2

repossessor

-ˈze-sər 

noun