possessive
Comparative
more possessive
Superlative
most possessive
1
displaying excessive attachment or control over people or things they consider their own
- He became possessive of his girlfriend, not allowing her to spend time with her friends without him.
- The possessive mother constantly monitored her child's activities, fearing they would get hurt.
- The possessive boss micromanaged every aspect of his employees' work, unwilling to delegate tasks.
- She felt suffocated by her partner's possessive behavior, which included checking her phone and questioning her whereabouts.
- The possessive friend grew jealous whenever their friend spent time with others, wanting exclusive attention.
2
(grammar) describing nouns and pronouns that indicate ownership
- He made a mistake by adding an extra possessive apostrophe to the plural noun.
- Understanding possessive forms is essential for showing relationships and ownership in writing.
- The possessive case in English often involves adding an apostrophe and 's' to the noun.
Synonyms:
3
having a strong desire to own or control something
- She was possessive of her collection of rare coins.
- The manager was possessive about his project ideas.
- Children can be possessive over their toys.
- He grew possessive of the family home.
- Possessive tendencies sometimes strain relationships.