possessive

1 of 2

adjective

pos·​ses·​sive pə-ˈze-siv 

also -ˈse-

1

: of, relating to, or constituting a word, a word group, or a grammatical case that denotes ownership or a relation analogous to ownership

2

: manifesting possession or the desire to own or dominate

possessively adverb

possessiveness noun

possessive

2 of 2

noun

1

: a possessive word or word group

2

a

: the possessive case

b

: a word in the possessive case

Synonyms of possessive

Adjective

• jealous

Examples of possessive in a Sentence

Adjective

If you marry him, he is only going to become even more jealous and possessive than he is now.

The possessive form of “dog” is “dog's.”

“His” and “her” are possessive pronouns.

Noun

“Your” and “yours” are possessives.

The possessive of “it” is “its.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Jeff Probst got possessive about his contestants. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 May 2026

The protagonist is a darkly violent, possessive young man named Jacob Cullen, who works in a manor house. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 May 2026

Noun

Tyler Perry is the type of filmmaker whose name can appear as a possessive in front of a movie’s title. — Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2022

The possessive in the title of Zack Snyder’s Justice League says it all. — K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing possessive

• possessive adjective
• possessive pronoun
• the possessive

Rhymes for possessive

• aggressive
• compressive
• concessive
• depressive
• excessive
• expressive
• impressive
• obsessive
• oppressive
• progressive
• recessive
• regressive

Kids Definition

possessive

1 of 2 adjective

pos·​ses·​sive pə-ˈzes-iv 

1

: of, relating to, or being a grammatical case that shows ownership or a similar relation

2

: showing the desire to possess or control

a possessive attitude

possessively adverb

possessiveness noun

possessive

2 of 2 noun

1

: the possessive case

2

: a noun or pronoun in the possessive case