possessive

possessive

English

Etymology

From Middle French possessif, from Latin possessivus (“of or pertaining to possession”), from possessiō (“possessing”), from possidēre (“to possess”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pəˈzɛsɪv/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛsɪv

Adjective

possessive (comparative more possessive, superlative most possessive)

1. Of or pertaining to ownership or possession.
2. (grammar) Indicating ownership, possession, origin, etc.
3. Unwilling to yield possession of.

   He is very possessive of his car.

Translations

pertaining to possession

Bulgarian: собственически (sobstveničeski) Catalan: possessiu (ca) Dutch: bezittelijk (nl) French: possessif (fr) Greek: κτητικός (el) m (ktitikós) Scottish Gaelic: seilbheach Spanish: posesivo (es)

grammar: indicating possession

Belarusian: прынале́жны (prynaljéžny) Bulgarian: притежателен (pritežatelen) Catalan: possessiu (ca) Czech: přivlastňovací (cs) m Dutch: bezittelijk (nl) Esperanto: posesiva French: possessif (fr) m German: besitzanzeigend, possessiv (de) Greek: κτητικός (el) m (ktitikós) Ancient: κτητικός (ktētikós) Hungarian: birtokos (hu) Irish: sealbhach Norman: possessif Old English: ġeāgniġendlīċ Polish: dzierżawczy (pl) Portuguese: possessivo (pt) m Russian: притяжа́тельный (ru) (pritjažátelʹnyj), поссесси́вный (ru) (possessívnyj) (rare) Scottish Gaelic: seilbheach Spanish: posesivo (es) Swedish: possessiv (sv) Turkish: sahiplik (tr), aitlik, iyelik (tr) Ukrainian: присві́йний (prysvíjnyj) Welsh: meddiannol

unwilling to yield possession of

Catalan: possessiu (ca) Dutch: bezitterig (nl) Indonesian: posesif (id) Irish: gabhálach Polish: zaborczy (pl) Portuguese: possessivo (pt) Spanish: posesivo (es), celoso (es) Welsh: meddiannol, meddiangar

Noun

possessive (countable and uncountable, plural possessives)

1. (grammar) The possessive case.
2. (grammar) A word used to indicate the possessive case.

Translations

possessive case — see possessive case

a word that indicates possession or the possessive case

Maori: kupu whiwhinga, pūriro, rirohanga

See also

• possessive pronoun
• possessive adjective
• possessive determiner
• possessive suffix
• comitative
• genitive
• ktetic
• proprietive

---

French

Adjective

possessive

1. feminine singular of possessif

---

German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

possessive

1. inflection of possessiv:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

---

Italian

Adjective

possessive

1. feminine plural of possessivo

---

Latin

Adjective

possessīve

1. vocative masculine singular of possessīvus