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
Synonyms
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
Alex Vance, Parents, 31 Oct. 2024
Saltburn, for all its provocations and eyebrow piercings, grabbed attention not because of the plain existence of a cum-slurpy bathtub scene but because Keoghan delivered the creepy possessive longing necessary to sell it.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2024
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 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Your child is just learning about sharing and taking turns, but may also still be very possessive of their toys, which can lead to meltdowns during play.4
At the same time, your child is starting to learn empathy.
—Alex Vance, Parents, 31 Oct. 2024
Saltburn, for all its provocations and eyebrow piercings, grabbed attention not because of the plain existence of a cum-slurpy bathtub scene but because Keoghan delivered the creepy possessive longing necessary to sell it.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2024
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
Dictionary Entries Near possessive
Cite this Entry
“Possessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possessive. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share