Dictionary

possessive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /pəˈzes.ɪv/ (Australia)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pəˈzɛs.ɪv/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation, Scotland)
• /pəˈzes.əv/ (New-Zealand)
• pə-zĕs′ĭv

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.

Meanings

1. Of or pertaining to ownership or possession.
2. Indicating ownership, possession, origin, etc.
3. Unwilling to yield possession of.
   • He is very possessive of his car.

Forms

Deriveds

overpossessive · possessivity · unpossessive · nonpossessive · possessival

Translations (52)

fi possessiivinen (grammar: indicating possession) · es posesivo (pertaining to possession) · ru притяжа́тельный (grammar: indicating possession) · pt possessivo (unwilling to yield possession of) · nrf possessif (grammar: indicating possession) · gd seilbheach (pertaining to possession) · ga gabhálach (unwilling to yield possession of) · ar صِيغَةُ اْلتَمَلُكِ (grammar: indicating possession) · nl bezitterig (unwilling to yield possession of) · pl dzierżawczy (grammar: indicating possession) · es posesivo (grammar: indicating possession) · ca possessiu (unwilling to yield possession of) · eo posesiva (grammar: indicating possession) · ar تَمَلُكِي (pertaining to possession) · bg притежателен (grammar: indicating possession) · nl bezittelijk (pertaining to possession) · ca possessiu (pertaining to possession) · de possessiv (grammar: indicating possession) · grc κτητικός (grammar: indicating possession) · es posesivo (unwilling to yield possession of) · fi omistushaluinen (unwilling to yield possession of) · de besitzanzeigend (grammar: indicating possession) · tr sahiplik (grammar: indicating possession) · tr iyelik (grammar: indicating possession) · ca possessiu (grammar: indicating possession) · pt possessivo (grammar: indicating possession) · el κτητικός (pertaining to possession) · fi omistus- (pertaining to possession) · fi omiva (unwilling to yield possession of) · cy meddiangar (unwilling to yield possession of) · pl zaborczy (unwilling to yield possession of) · ang ġeāgniġendlīċ (grammar: indicating possession) · sv possessiv (grammar: indicating possession) · fr possessif (pertaining to possession) · ru поссесси́вный (grammar: indicating possession) · ga sealbhach (grammar: indicating possession) · cy meddiannol (grammar: indicating possession) · tr aitlik (grammar: indicating possession) · hu birtokos (grammar: indicating possession) · fr possessif (grammar: indicating possession) · es celoso (unwilling to yield possession of) · fi omistus- (grammar: indicating possession) · el κτητικός (grammar: indicating possession) · nl bezittelijk (grammar: indicating possession) · gd seilbheach (grammar: indicating possession) · cy meddiannol (unwilling to yield possession of) · cs přivlastňovací (grammar: indicating possession) · eo ĵaluza (unwilling to yield possession of) · bg собственически (pertaining to possession) · be прынале́жны (grammar: indicating possession) · uk присві́йний (grammar: indicating possession) · id posesif (unwilling to yield possession of)

possessive en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pəˈzes.ɪv/ (Australia)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pəˈzɛs.ɪv/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation, Scotland)
• /pəˈzes.əv/ (New-Zealand)
• pə-zĕs′ĭv

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.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The possessive case.
2. (countable, uncountable) A word used to indicate the possessive case.
   • The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal all do the opposite, opting for ’s to mark a singular possessive and a simple apostrophe for plural possessive (Harrises’ and Walzes’). 2024 October 8, Remy Tumin, “Is It Harris’ or Harris’s? Add a Walz, and It’s Even Trickier.”, in The New York Times:
   • Take the rule about pronouns and possessives that Mr. Keegan cited in his challenge to the testing service. 2023 January 6, Geoffery Nunberg, “The Nation: Parts of Speech; The Bloody Crossroads of Grammar and Politics”, in The New York Times:

Forms

Deriveds

double possessive · possessiveness · possessively · independent possessive

Relateds

proprietary · possessive adjective · possessive pronoun · possessive suffix · comitative · ktetic · genitive · possessive determiner · proprietorial · proprietive

Translations (3)

mi pūriro (a word that indicates possession or the possessive case) · mi kupu whiwhinga (a word that indicates possession or the possessive case) · mi rirohanga (a word that indicates possession or the possessive case)