possessive

English

Etymology

From Middle French possessif, from Latin possessivus (“of or pertaining to possession”), from possessiō (“possessing”), from possidēre (“to possess”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pəˈzɛsɪv/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛsɪv

Adjective

possessive (comparative more possessive, superlative most possessive)

1. Of or pertaining to ownership or possession.
2. (grammar) Indicating ownership, possession, origin, etc.
3. Unwilling to yield possession of.

   He is very possessive of his car.

Translations

pertaining to possession

• Bulgarian: собственически (sobstveničeski)
• Catalan: possessiu (ca)
• Dutch: bezittelijk (nl)
• French: possessif (fr)
• Greek: κτητικός (el) m (ktitikós)
• Scottish Gaelic: seilbheach
• Spanish: posesivo (es)

grammar: indicating possession

• Belarusian: прынале́жны (prynaljéžny)
• Bulgarian: притежателен (pritežatelen)
• Catalan: possessiu (ca)
• Czech: přivlastňovací (cs) m
• Dutch: bezittelijk (nl)
• Esperanto: posesiva
• French: possessif (fr) m
• German: besitzanzeigend, possessiv (de)
• Greek: κτητικός (el) m (ktitikós)

  Ancient: κτητικός (ktētikós)

• Hungarian: birtokos (hu)
• Irish: sealbhach
• Norman: possessif
• Old English: ġeāgniġendlīċ
• Polish: dzierżawczy (pl)
• Portuguese: possessivo (pt) m
• Russian: притяжа́тельный (ru) (pritjažátelʹnyj), поссесси́вный (ru) (possessívnyj) (rare)
• Scottish Gaelic: seilbheach
• Spanish: posesivo (es)
• Swedish: possessiv (sv)
• Turkish: sahiplik (tr), aitlik, iyelik (tr)
• Ukrainian: присві́йний (prysvíjnyj)
• Welsh: meddiannol

unwilling to yield possession of

• Catalan: possessiu (ca)
• Dutch: bezitterig (nl)
• Indonesian: posesif (id)
• Irish: gabhálach
• Polish: zaborczy (pl)
• Portuguese: possessivo (pt)
• Spanish: posesivo (es), celoso (es)
• Welsh: meddiannol, meddiangar

Noun

possessive (countable and uncountable, plural possessives)

1. (grammar) The possessive case.
2. (grammar) A word used to indicate the possessive case.

Translations

possessive case — see possessive case

a word that indicates possession or the possessive case

• Maori: kupu whiwhinga, pūriro, rirohanga

See also

• possessive pronoun
• possessive adjective
• possessive determiner
• possessive suffix
• comitative
• genitive
• ktetic
• proprietive

French

Adjective

possessive

1. feminine singular of possessif

German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

possessive

1. inflection of possessiv:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

possessive

1. feminine plural of possessivo

Latin

Adjective

possessīve

1. vocative masculine singular of possessīvus