possessive

adjective pos·ses·sive \ pə-ˈze-siv also -ˈse- \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

Definition of possessive

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

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possessively

adverb

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possessiveness

noun

See possessive defined for English-language learners

See possessive defined for kids

Examples of possessive in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of possessive from the Web

Ehrlich also wryly and briefly addressed death, molly and possessive relationships at different points.

— adam lukach, RedEye Chicago, "Track all the Chicago artists at Lollapalooza," 7 Aug. 2017
Wyatt sees this and spends basically the whole episode being jealous and possessive.

— rachel kaufman, Smithsonian, "An Elementary Lesson in Women’s Suffrage: “Timeless” Season 2, Episode 7, Recapped," 30 Apr. 2018
Yes, the name of the team is possessive, not plural.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "Now at bat for New Orleans: Hank Azaria and IFC's 'Brockmire'," 25 Apr. 2018
After gaining valuable experience, the squad learned to be more offensive, defensive and possessive, in addition to attacking from the back and counter attacks.

— alvaro montaño, Houston Chronicle, "Klein Forest aims for consistency after back-to-back postseason appearances," 25 Apr. 2018
That’s when Dawson’s Creek went from being about title character Dawson and his earnest, possessive love for Joey to being about Joey herself, torn between Dawson and his best friend Pacey.

— constance grady, Vox, "20 years ago, Dawson’s Creek introduced a love triangle that changed teen soaps forever," 28 Mar. 2018
In Carmen, a woman who loves freedom is murdered by a violent, possessive man.

— alison kinney, Longreads, "The Man in the Mirror," 10 Mar. 2018
Ukacierra loves the feud with a possessive madness, fears for its survival, and looks upon the incursions of the contemporary world with hatred.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Stewards of the Blood," 23 Jan. 2018
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy’s best friend Xander is possessive, unsupportive, and judgmental of her.

— jill gutowitz, Glamour, "Why Jon Snow Is the Ultimate Male Feminist," 27 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'possessive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of possessive

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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possessive Synonyms

Synonyms

jealous;

Near Antonyms

undemanding;

permissive, tolerant, tolerating, trustful, trusting, understanding;

covetous, envious, invidious, jaundiced;

distrustful, mistrustful, suspicious;

overprotective, protective;

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

possessive

noun

Definition of possessive

1 : a possessive word or word group

2 a : the possessive case

b : a word in the possessive case

See possessive defined for English-language learners

Examples of possessive in a Sentence

“Your” and “yours” are possessives.
The possessive of “it” is “its.”

Recent Examples of possessive from the Web

Tully is endlessly open and nurturing without seeming possessive, helpful without seeming controlling.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Tully Is a Daring, and Baffling, Look at Motherhood," 4 May 2018
That’s next-level possessive and a product of unchecked toxic masculinity.

— jill gutowitz, Glamour, "After Watching 'Fifty Shades Freed,' I Have One Question: Are Straight People OK?," 9 Feb. 2018
That only plays into the hands of someone possessive.

— carolyn hax, idahostatesman, "Brother and his new wife perceive every invitation as a threat to couple time | Idaho Statesman," 9 Jan. 2018
As the biggest of the bureau’s outposts, handling many of its headline cases, New York is particularly possessive of its investigations.

— chris smith, The Hive, "“Hillary Is Corrupt and Trump Is Crazy”: At the F.B.I., Anger at Being Scapegoated," 14 Dec. 2017
This type of possessive, fantasy relationship was behind another celebrity murder, the 1989 shooting of sitcom star Rebecca Schaeffer by an obsessed fan.

— erin moriarty, CBS News, "Stalked," 9 Sep. 2017
This type of possessive, fantasy relationship was behind another celebrity murder, the 1989 shooting of sitcom star Rebecca Schaeffer by an obsessed fan.

— erin moriarty, CBS News, "Stalked," 9 Sep. 2017
This type of possessive, fantasy relationship was behind another celebrity murder, the 1989 shooting of sitcom star Rebecca Schaeffer by an obsessed fan.

— erin moriarty, CBS News, "Stalked," 9 Sep. 2017
This type of possessive, fantasy relationship was behind another celebrity murder, the 1989 shooting of sitcom star Rebecca Schaeffer by an obsessed fan.

— erin moriarty, CBS News, "Stalked," 9 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of possessive

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

POSSESSIVE Defined for English Language Learners

possessive

adjective

Definition of possessive for English Language Learners

: not willing to share things with or lend things to other people
: wanting all of someone's attention and love
grammar : relating to a word or a form of a word that shows that something or someone belongs to something or someone else