as in materialism
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Recent Examples of possessiveness
There’s a touch of possessiveness that comes out when Eloise refers to Sophie as her lady’s maid.
—
Arushi Jacob, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
In the film, Brack’s attraction to Hedda, investment in her material future, and his familiarity with her father are all underlined, and by the end feel like a mounting pressure of desire and possessiveness directed at her.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Wright is magnetic, walking a fine line between maternal concern and suffocating possessiveness.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
There’s a certain irony in China’s possessiveness over its Labubu IP.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
The possessiveness people have around these characters is so intense.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
But there’s a shiver of possessiveness in his bearing, something the filmmaker suggests through subtle means like a lingering glimpse of Pedro’s hand gripping Lina’s desk.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Arushi Jacob, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
In the film, Brack’s attraction to Hedda, investment in her material future, and his familiarity with her father are all underlined, and by the end feel like a mounting pressure of desire and possessiveness directed at her.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Wright is magnetic, walking a fine line between maternal concern and suffocating possessiveness.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
There’s a certain irony in China’s possessiveness over its Labubu IP.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
The possessiveness people have around these characters is so intense.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
But there’s a shiver of possessiveness in his bearing, something the filmmaker suggests through subtle means like a lingering glimpse of Pedro’s hand gripping Lina’s desk.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessiveness
Noun
-
The scene offers a pitiless view of the sexism, and materialism, of the culture in which the girls were being raised.—
Mark Oppenheimer,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
-
As world views go, scientific materialism has a lot to say for it.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Following too closely in its protagonist’s footsteps, The Queen of Versailles presents only two options — tough but spiritually fulfilling material deprivation or unconstrained acquisitiveness.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
They are fueled by hatred, greed and corruption and do not care about America or what is good for it.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Shot locally in Los Angeles and based on an original idea by Nicholas Geisler (Bunk’d), who here made his feature directorial debut, Gulf of America follows a family who inherits a decaying desert motel, triggering an inescapable descent into greed, psychosis, and terror.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In a world where most sports have a shady underbelly and the fixes often are in one way or another, no one is ever going to tell you that boxing of all competitions is an avarice or sticky-fingers-free zone.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
-
But the damage this episode of Europe-bashing and open colonial avarice has done is real and enduring.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These firms now pay their rainmakers like Wall Street stars and have dropped their courtly scruples for relentless commercialism.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Ironically, the film was about the dangers of commercialism, and the director reportedly added a long bedroom scene near the beginning displaying the actress’ nude backside to appease producers’ demands for more flesh.—
Lee Smith,
CNN Money,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
People in the comments shared in the woman’s frustration, agreeing that her mother's greediness needs to be addressed.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
-
When kids didn’t withdraw, it was sometimes seen as greediness.—
Mary Frances Ruskell,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Unlike the specialized literary magazine and its informal cousin, the literary blog, the general-interest newspaper has a kind of noble rapacity, an encyclopedic ambition to wrap its arms around the whole of the world.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s entire doctrine is naked rapacity, from Venezuela to hijacking the Kennedy Center to hideously remaking the White House in his own gaudy image.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Simple fasting from food can be ruined — rendered not pleasing to Allah — if spoiled by telling lies, slander, denouncing someone behind his back, swearing a false oath, greed or covetousness.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possessiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessiveness. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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