possessive
adjective
jealously opposed to the personal independence of, or to any influence other than one's own upon, a child, spouse, etc.
possessiveness
-
a word derived from
possessive.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"If you don't like it, just don't go for it or follow it. Why the possessiveness over other people's wallets?" someone wrote on Weibo.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
“I had written a book on writing once …” How did professional jealousy, competitiveness, possessiveness, or, on the brighter side, tenderness, collaborative spirit and generosity play out as you wrote a writing book together?
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026
“I don’t know if it’s the topic, but there hasn’t been a possessiveness about subject matter that I’ve found in other subjects, and I do think that’s pretty incredible.”
From Washington Post ● Jan. 5, 2023
I felt my loose connection to Great-Great-Uncle Monty shift into possessiveness: Who were these people writing about what I felt, unjustly, to be my story?
From New York Times ● Oct. 31, 2021
Suspicion and fear: possessiveness and greed: resentment for ancestral wrong: all these seemed to be a part of it.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
