the possessive
noun
grammar
: the form of a word that shows possession or belonging
The possessive of "it" is "its."
Examples of the possessive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like Kincaid and Dungy, Rush exposes the possessive and often violent traditions of naming the natural world.
—
Emily Raboteau, The New York Review of Books, 1 Nov. 2020
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
Emily Raboteau, The New York Review of Books, 1 Nov. 2020
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the possessive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“The possessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20possessive. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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