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Definition of possessive - 5 dictionary results

pos⋅ses⋅sive

  [puh-zes-iv]
Use possessive in a Sentence
–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.
4. 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
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To possessive
pos·ses·sive   (pə-zěs'ĭv)   
adj.  
  1. Of or relating to ownership or possession.
  2. Having or manifesting a desire to control or dominate another, especially in order to limit that person's relationships with others: a possessive parent.
  3. Grammar Of, relating to, or being a noun or pronoun case that indicates possession.
n.   Grammar
  1. The possessive case.
  2. A possessive form or construction.
pos·ses'sive·ly adv., pos·ses'sive·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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.

Possessive

Pos*sess"ive\, n. 1. (Gram.) The possessive case.

2. (Gram.) A possessive pronoun, or a word in the possessive case.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : possessive
Spanish: posesivo,
German: possessiv,
Japanese: 所有格
More Translations »

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.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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