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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She describes her three-year relationship with Paiva as incredibly loving, although she admits to being the more possessive of the two.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 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
Later, they sent an updated transcript that changed it again to "supporter's" — a singular possessive that would mean Hinchcliffe's comment.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2024
Impossible woman, Eleanor thought; impossible, vulgar, possessive woman.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
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
There's more on its versus it's in the chapter on possessives, pages 37-38.
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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Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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