as in jealous
intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness
he was very possessive of his girlfriend's attention, and it was really starting to annoy her
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Recent Examples of possessive
Saltburn, for all its provocations and eyebrow piercings, grabbed attention not because of the plain existence of a cum-slurpy bathtub scene but because Keoghan delivered the creepy possessive longing necessary to sell it.
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Joe Reid, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2024
Your partnerships tend to be all-or-nothing — or rather, become possessive instead.
—Kyle Thomas, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2024
Just as observation and a dose of evolutionary logic revealed male burying beetles not as attentive fathers but as possessive mate guarders, the natural and behavioral sciences deflated my dreamy credo, exposing my lofty aspirations as performance and self-deception.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
Worst love match: Scorpio Passionate and possessive of their partners, Scorpio’s desire for emotional intimacy and transparency could be incredibly overwhelming for a free-spirited sign like Aquarius.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for possessive 
Joe Reid, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2024
Your partnerships tend to be all-or-nothing — or rather, become possessive instead.
—Kyle Thomas, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2024
Just as observation and a dose of evolutionary logic revealed male burying beetles not as attentive fathers but as possessive mate guarders, the natural and behavioral sciences deflated my dreamy credo, exposing my lofty aspirations as performance and self-deception.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
Worst love match: Scorpio Passionate and possessive of their partners, Scorpio’s desire for emotional intimacy and transparency could be incredibly overwhelming for a free-spirited sign like Aquarius.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for possessive
Thesaurus Entries Near possessive
Cite this Entry
“Possessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessive. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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