I. pə]ˈzesiv, pō], ]ˈses-], -ēv adjective
Etymology: Middle French possessif, from Latin possessivus, from possessus (past participle of possidēre to own, possess) + -ivus -ive — more at possess
1.
a. : of, relating to, or constituting a grammatical case that denotes ownership or a relation felt to be analogous to ownership
in “John's hat” the word John's is in the possessive case
— compare genitive
b. : of, relating to, or constituting a word or word group that denotes ownership or a relation felt to be analogous to ownership
c. : of or relating to the possessive case
a possessive construction
2. : of or tending to possession : manifesting possession or the desire to possess or hold as one's own : possessory
the possessive instinct
a possessive nature
3. of a compound word : belonging to the bahuvrihi class
• pos·ses·sive·ly -sə̇vlē, -sēv-, -li adverb
• pos·ses·sive·ness noun -es
II. noun
( -s )
1. : the possessive case
2. : a possessive word or word group