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
1
: a possessive word or word group
2
a
: the possessive case
b
: a word in the possessive case
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
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
That possessive, wide eyed desire is just one of the aspects that took Jane Birkin from a young British ingenue to a beloved — and extremely famous — fixture of French culture.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
Daniel Foster, National Review, 19 Sep. 2024
But focus instead on that apostrophe in the title: This is Hopper’s New York, emphasis on the possessive, and for all its crowd-pleasing fare this is a more challenging show about his dominion over the city.
—Karen Rosenberg, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for possessive
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Adjective
Some will even feel possessive.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
That possessive, wide eyed desire is just one of the aspects that took Jane Birkin from a young British ingenue to a beloved — and extremely famous — fixture of French culture.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
What’s the rule on forming a singular possessive of a name ending with a sibilant?
—Daniel Foster, National Review, 19 Sep. 2024
But focus instead on that apostrophe in the title: This is Hopper’s New York, emphasis on the possessive, and for all its crowd-pleasing fare this is a more challenging show about his dominion over the city.
—Karen Rosenberg, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for possessive
Cite this Entry
“Possessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possessive. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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 noun1
: the possessive case
2
: a noun or pronoun in the possessive case
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