as in jealous
intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness
he was very possessive of his girlfriend's attention, and it was really starting to annoy her
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Recent Examples of possessive
The Creature thinks his suffering can only cease if it is replicated in another, and expresses this desire through possessive, dehumanizing language.
—
Rory Doherty, Time, 7 Mar. 2026
Starring alongside Box and Sami is the returning Alicia Gardiner, who plays Dulcie’s possessive wife Cath.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
After a night of a drinking game gone very wrong, Bree is left behind by a possessive Evan, giving Wrigley and Bree alone time to hash out their unspoken feelings for each other.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
What readers are saying The comments largely focus on the need for the boyfriend to set boundaries with his sister, who exhibits possessive and inappropriate behavior.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possessive
Rory Doherty, Time, 7 Mar. 2026
Starring alongside Box and Sami is the returning Alicia Gardiner, who plays Dulcie’s possessive wife Cath.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
After a night of a drinking game gone very wrong, Bree is left behind by a possessive Evan, giving Wrigley and Bree alone time to hash out their unspoken feelings for each other.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
What readers are saying The comments largely focus on the need for the boyfriend to set boundaries with his sister, who exhibits possessive and inappropriate behavior.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possessive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessive
jealous
Adjective
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The shooter was soon identified as a former physics classmate thought to have been jealous of Loureiro’s success.—
Faye Flam,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
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Suzanna views the world with a sort of jealous estrangement, refusing to make sense of fundamentals such as death.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessive. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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