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
Over the course of Obsession's 108-minute runtime, Nikki transforms into an self-destructive, possessive, and dangerously violent shadow of her former self as Bear's spell forces her to fixate solely on her unnatural devotion to him—no matter the cost.
—
Megan McCluskey, Time, 15 May 2026
Friends and family members also told investigators that Shirilla and Russo’s relationship had become strained in the months before the crash, marked by arguments and breakups, with some describing Shirilla as possessive in the relationship.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 15 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
Jeff Probst got possessive about his contestants.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for possessive
Megan McCluskey, Time, 15 May 2026
Friends and family members also told investigators that Shirilla and Russo’s relationship had become strained in the months before the crash, marked by arguments and breakups, with some describing Shirilla as possessive in the relationship.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 15 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
Jeff Probst got possessive about his contestants.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for possessive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessive
jealous
Adjective
-
In other words, billionaires being jealous of other billionaires.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
-
In India, classical knowledge was the jealous preserve of the Brahmanic caste.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessive. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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