Word
possessive
Phoneticspos·ses·sive, stress on the second syllable
US/pəˈzɛsɪv/
UK/pəzˈɛsɪv/
Definitions
01controlling in a relationship
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. demanding someone's total attention and not wanting them to be independent or spend time with others.
adj. manifesting a desire to exert excessive control or ownership over another person, typically within a romantic or familial relationship.
“He became very possessive and didn't like it when his girlfriend went out with her own friends.”
“The protagonist's possessive nature eventually alienated his partner, as his constant need for reassurance manifested as restrictive and jealous behaviour.”
Teaching tip
This sense carries a negative social connotation; it describes a personality flaw rather than a positive trait.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02showing ownership
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. relating to owning something or showing who something belongs to.
adj. pertaining to the legal or physical possession of property or assets.
“The cat has a very possessive attitude toward its favourite blanket.”
“The company maintains a possessive interest in the patent, refusing to license the technology to any of its primary competitors.”
Synonyms
03grammar
B1 · Intermediate Science Technical
adj. describing a word or form that shows who owns something, like 'mine' or 'the dog's'.
adj. denoting a grammatical case or form used to indicate a relationship of possession, origin, or association.
“In the phrase 'my car', the word 'my' is a possessive adjective.”
“Learners often struggle with the placement of the apostrophe when forming the possessive plural of irregular nouns.”
Usage
In linguistics, this is often used interchangeably with 'genitive' in English instruction.
Teaching tip
While 'genitive' is the technical linguistic term, 'possessive' is the standard term used in most EFL classrooms.
Synonyms
04the possessive form
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Science Technical
n. a word or a form of a word that shows ownership.
n. a noun or pronoun in the possessive case.
“You need to add an apostrophe and an 's' to make the possessive of most singular nouns.”
“The student mistakenly used a possessive where a simple plural was required, leading to confusion in the sentence's meaning.”
Usage
Usually functions as a countable noun when referring to specific words.
Real-World Examples
“To be possessive of another person, for instance, by controlling their sex life, is to fail to accept their separateness.” “The plural with a possessive usually gathers someone’s clothes, bags, papers, or other belongings.” Etymology
From Middle French possessif, from Latin possessivus (“of or pertaining to possession”), from possessiō (“possessing”), from possidēre (“to possess”). By surface analysis, possess + -ive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Grammar
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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