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
She claims she tried to end the relationship after a few months when Alvarado turned overbearing and possessive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025
Laundrie objected, saying he felt "neglected" and eventually became possessive.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2025
The inquest has also heard that Gunner Beck received thousands of messages from another senior colleague, Bombardier Ryan Mason, whom she described as being "psychotic and possessive".
From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2025
I grew up on stories of holy men parting the river Bistrița, golems shaped from clay, and, of course, those possessive spirits called dybbukim.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
I wrote “our sycamore” above, but great trees defy possessives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
Booker Prize-winning author James Kelman uses apostrophes for possessives but not for contractions in his most recent work.
From Slate ● May 23, 2013
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
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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Language and Grammar - Introductory
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Language: Grammar and Punctuation Review
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