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.
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With her husband so frequently absent, child-rearing fell almost entirely to Frances, who proved a loving but possessive mother.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
Ms Pilley, 38, had recently ended her year-long secret relationship with Gilroy, who was described in court as possessive and manipulative.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2025
As it moved through TikTok and Instagram, the term focused solely on the plural possessive, as people jokingly addressed their intangible audiences.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2024
And I know you’ve talked about it and you’ve shared that you understand as a writer being possessive of your work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2024
Katie, jealous and fiercely possessive even in death, turned sharply to look at the woman who dared weep for Johnny.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
I wrote “our sycamore” above, but great trees defy possessives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
His world, at least as related to the tiny mark that denotes possessives and the omission of letters from certain words, appears to be crashing down around him.
From Slate ● May 23, 2013
Booker Prize-winning author James Kelman uses apostrophes for possessives but not for contractions in his most recent work.
From Slate ● May 23, 2013
It’s also customary to drop the final s when forming the possessives of ancient classical or biblical names that already end in s: Whose biceps were bigger, Hercules’ or Achilles’?
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
For an acquisitive society, were awfully careless about possessives.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Vocabulary lists containing possessive
Unit 1: Telling Details
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