[syn: possessive, genitive]
2. desirous of owning;
- Example: "small children are so possessive they will not let others play with their toys"
3. having or showing a desire to control or dominate;
- Example: "a possessive parent"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Possessive \Pos*sess"ive\, a. [L. possessivus: cf. F.
possessif.]
Of or pertaining to possession; having or indicating
possession.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Possessive \Pos*sess"ive\, n.
1. (Gram.) The possessive case.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Gram.) A possessive pronoun, or a word in the possessive
case.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
possessive
adj 1: serving to express or indicate possession; "possessive
pronouns"; "the genitive endings" [syn: possessive,
genitive]
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"
n 1: the case expressing ownership [syn: genitive, genitive
case, possessive, possessive case]