prepossession

noun

ˌprē-pə-ˈze-shən
Definition of prepossessionnext
1
as in theory
an attitude, belief, or impression formed in advance of actual experience of something the foreign tourists' prepossessions about life in the U.S. had been formed by many hours of American TV shows

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obsession
something about which one is constantly thinking or concerned tried to cure him of his prepossession with money

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the noun prepossession contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of prepossession are bias, predilection, and prejudice. While all these words mean "an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something," prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

a prepossession against technology

When can bias be used instead of prepossession?

The meanings of bias and prepossession largely overlap; however, bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing.

a strong bias toward the plaintiff

Where would predilection be a reasonable alternative to prepossession?

Although the words predilection and prepossession have much in common, predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience.

a predilection for travel

In what contexts can prejudice take the place of prepossession?

In some situations, the words prejudice and prepossession are roughly equivalent. However, prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance.

a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prepossession
  1. theory
  2. obsession
  3. assumption
Noun
  • But Margulis took her theory further; in her view, symbiosis was the driving force of evolution, and many entities were likely composites.
    — Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
  • Energized by these findings, Harland presented his theory to colleagues.
    — Laura Poppick July 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Definition of theory
Noun
  • Awash in dark wood, soft leather, stained glass and artful light fixtures, the building is one of Austin's most beautiful restaurants and now home to some of Austin's modern obsessions: pizza and day drinking.
    — Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • In other words, what looks like harmless fun could, in the wrong hands, serve as a pipeline into obsession.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Definition of obsession
Noun
  • The assumption is that the Best Music Festival will provide the best music, but the title mainly means that the festival was put together by Best Video, the landmark video store and cultural center in Hamden.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Aug. 2025
  • At the midpoint, the capex assumptions exceeded the $5.11 billion expected.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2025
Definition of assumption
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

prepossessing
prepossession
prepossessions
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Cite this Entry

“Prepossession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prepossession. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

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