prepossession
UK /ˌpɹiːpəˈzɛʃn̩/ · US /ˌpɹipəˈzɛʃən/ noun
Forms prepossessions
- noun (uncountable) A preoccupation; having possession beforehand.
- noun (countable) A preconceived opinion, or previous impression; bias, prejudice.
Synonyms
preconception parti pris preconceived opinion preconceived idea preconceived notion
Webster’s 1913
- noun Preoccupation; prior possession. Hammond.
- noun Preoccupation of the mind by an opinion, or impression, already formed; preconceived opinion; previous impression; bias; --generally, but not always, used in a favorable sense; as, the prepossessions of childhood. "The prejudices and prepossessions of the country." Sir W. Scott.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “prepossession”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details