possessive
UK: pəˈzesɪv | US: pəˈzesɪv
adj. showing a desire to own or control something or someone
adj. (grammar) indicating possession (e.g., "my," "your," "his")
n. (grammar) a possessive word or form
The word "possessive" originates from the Latin possessivus, derived from possidere (to possess). The root "possess" (< Latin possess-, past participle stem of possidere) means "to own or control," while the suffix "-ive" (< Latin -ivus) forms adjectives indicating a tendency or relation. The term evolved in Middle English via Old French to describe both the psychological trait of controlling behavior and the grammatical function of denoting ownership.
She became possessive of her toys when her younger brother tried to play with them.
In English, the apostrophe-s ('s) is a common possessive marker.
His possessive attitude strained their relationship.
The word "hers" is a possessive pronoun.
Avoid using possessive language in professional emails to sound more collaborative.