8 results for: possessive

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

pos·ses·sive

Audio Help [puh-zes-iv] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	jealously opposed to the personal independence of, or to any influence other than one's own upon, a child, spouse, etc.

2.	desirous of possessing, esp. excessively so: Young children are so possessive they will not allow others to play with their toys; a possessive lover.

3.	of or pertaining to possession or ownership.

Grammar.

a.	indicating possession, ownership, origin, etc. His in his book is a possessive adjective. His in The book is his is a possessive pronoun.

b.	noting or pertaining to a case that indicates possession, ownership, origin, etc., as, in English, John's in John's hat.

–noun Grammar.

5.	the possessive case.

6.	a form in the possessive.

[Origin: 1520–30; < L possessīvus. See possess, -ive

]

—Related forms

pos·ses·sive·ly, adverb

pos·ses·sive·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
possessive

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pos·ses·sive Audio Help (pə-zěs'ĭv) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Of or relating to ownership or possession.
Having or manifesting a desire to control or dominate another, especially in order to limit that person's relationships with others: a possessive parent.
Grammar Of, relating to, or being a noun or pronoun case that indicates possession.

n. Grammar

The possessive case.
A possessive form or construction.

pos·ses'sive·ly adv., pos·ses'sive·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

possessive
adjective
1.	serving to express or indicate possession; "possessive pronouns"; "the genitive endings"
2.	desirous of owning; "small children are so possessive they will not let others play with their toys"
3.	having or showing a desire to control or dominate; "a possessive parent"
noun
1.	the case expressing ownership [syn: genitive]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
posˈsessive1 [-siv] adjective

showing that someone or something possesses an object etc
Example: `Yours', `mine', `his', `hers', `theirs' are possessive pronouns; `your', `my', `his', `their' are possessive adjectives.

Arabic:	يَشير إلى الملكيَّه
Chinese (Simplified):	所有格的
Chinese (Traditional):	所有格的
Czech:	přivlastňovací
Danish:	min; dit; hans; hendes; dens
Dutch:	bezittelijk
Estonian:	omastav
Finnish:	possessiivi-
French:	possessif
German:	possessiv
Greek:	κτητικός (γραμμ.)
Hungarian:	birtokos
Icelandic:	eignar-
Indonesian:	kata ganti empunya
Italian:	possessivo

Japanese:	所有格
Korean:	소유의
Latvian:	piederības-
Lithuanian:	savybinis
Norwegian:	eie-
Polish:	dzierżawczy
Portuguese (Brazil):	possessivo
Portuguese (Portugal):	possessivo
Romanian:	posesiv
Russian:	притяжательный
Slovak:	privlastňovací
Slovenian:	svojilen
Spanish:	posesivo
Swedish:	possessiv
Turkish:	iyelik (gösteren)

posˈsessive2 [-siv] adjective

acting as though things and people are one's personal possessions
Example: a possessive mother

Arabic:	تَمَلُّكي، مُتَمَلِّك
Chinese (Simplified):	占有的
Chinese (Traditional):	佔有的
Czech:	panovačný
Danish:	besiddende; dominerende
Dutch:	bezitterig
Estonian:	omanikuinstinktiga
Finnish:	omistushaluinen
French:	possessif
German:	besitzgierig
Greek:	κτητικός, ζηλότυπος
Hungarian:	birtokolni vágyó
Icelandic:	drottnunargjarn, ráðríkur
Indonesian:	posesif
Italian:	possessivo

Japanese:	所有欲の強い
Korean:	소유욕이 강한
Latvian:	valdonīgs
Lithuanian:	valdingas, savininkiškas
Norwegian:	begjærlig, dominerende
Polish:	zaborczy
Portuguese (Brazil):	possessivo
Portuguese (Portugal):	possessivo
Romanian:	posesiv
Russian:	собственнический
Slovak:	panovačný
Slovenian:	oblasten
Spanish:	posesivo
Swedish:	dominant, hagalen, härsklysten
Turkish:	mülkiyetçi, paylaşmayı sevmeyen, kıskanç

See also: possession, possessor, possess, "possessive" in any language

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
possessive

The case of a noun or pronoun that shows possession. Nouns are usually made possessive by adding an apostrophe and s: “The bicycle is Sue's, not Mark's.” Possessive pronouns can take the place of possessive nouns: “The bicycle is hers, not his.” (See nominative case and objective case.)

[Chapter:] Conventions of Written English

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Possessive

Pos*sess"ive\, a. [L. possessivus: cf. F. possessif.] Of or pertaining to possession; having or indicating possession.

Possessive case (Eng. Gram.), the genitive case; the case of nouns and pronouns which expresses ownership, origin, or some possessive relation of one thing to another; as, Homer's admirers; the pear's flavor; the dog's faithfulness.

Possessive pronoun, a pronoun denoting ownership; as, his name; her home; my book.

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