possessive
gb/pəzˈɛsɪv/ us/pəzˈɛsɪv/
B1
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
B2
property
1
jealous and controlling in relationships
wanting to keep someone only for yourself
Patrón de uso:
be possessive (about/over) [someone/something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use possessive to mean simply 'owning' something; in this sense it usually implies jealousy or control.
Sinónimos
jealous (Similar feeling, but possessive emphasizes wanting control or ownership.)
|
controlling (Focuses on behavior; possessive often involves jealousy and exclusivity.)
Antónimos
trusting (Not jealous; comfortable with the other person’s independence.)
|
laid-back (Relaxed and not controlling in relationships.)
Colocaciones
a possessive boyfriend
|a possessive girlfriend
|a possessive partner
|a possessive attitude
|become possessive
|get possessive
|overly possessive
|dangerously possessive
|possessive jealousy
|possessive behavior
Temas
relationships
|emotions
|behavior
Ejemplos
- He got possessive whenever she talked to other guys at parties.
- She ended the relationship because his possessive behavior kept getting worse.
- I’m not possessive, but I don’t like people reading my private messages.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He is possessive of his girlfriend.
- Don’t be possessive.
adjective
technical
B1
property
2
showing who owns something
used to show that something belongs to someone
Patrón de uso:
[possessive] + noun
Error frecuente:
Learners often confuse plural -s (cats) with possessive ’s (cat’s) and sometimes add an apostrophe to regular plurals (cat’s for cats).
Sinónimos
genitive (More technical term used in grammar.)
Antónimos
nonpossessive (Not used to show ownership or association.)
Colocaciones
possessive pronoun
|possessive adjective
|possessive determiner
|possessive noun
|possessive form
|possessive ending
|possessive marker
|possessive apostrophe
|a possessive construction
|a possessive phrase
Temas
language
|grammar
|education
Ejemplos
- In “Sarah’s book,” “Sarah’s” is a possessive noun.
- My and your are possessive words that come before nouns.
- The apostrophe can mark a possessive ending in English.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- “My” is a possessive word.
- “Tom’s” is possessive.
Sustantivo
technical
B2
rule
3
the possessive form of a word
the grammar form that shows belonging
Patrón de uso:
the possessive (of) [word/phrase]
Error frecuente:
Learners may think the possessive always means literal ownership; it can also show relationships (the company’s policy, today’s news).
Sinónimos
genitive (Technical grammar term for the same case.)
Antónimos
common case (The unmarked case of a noun (not possessive) in English grammar.)
Colocaciones
use the possessive
|form the possessive
|the possessive case
|the possessive form
|the possessive of a noun
|plural possessive
|singular possessive
|double possessive
|possessive ending
|possessive marker
Temas
language
|grammar
|education
Ejemplos
- To make the possessive, add ’s to most singular nouns.
- Teachers often call it “the possessive” when they mean the ’s form.
- The possessive of children is children’s.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Add ’s to make the possessive.
- The possessive of Anna is Anna’s.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
possessive
AFI
GB/pəzˈɛsɪv/
US/pəzˈɛsɪv/
Sílabas y acento
pos - sess - ive (3 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (sess)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: possessive
Noun
- Base: possessive
- Plural: possessives
Familia de palabras
Forms
possessives
noun
Core family
possess
verb B2
possession
noun A2
Related words
possessor
noun B2
possessively
adverb
Advanced or less common
dispossess
verb
dispossession
noun
Expresiones
get possessive
1/ɡˈɛt pəzˈɛsɪv/
fixed phrase
start acting jealous and controlling
to begin to feel and act jealous
Ejemplos
- He tends to get possessive when he’s stressed.
- I didn’t realize I would get possessive about the baby’s first milestones.
- Try not to get possessive over your coworkers’ time.
possessive adjective
1/pəzˈɛsɪv ˈæd͡ʒɪktɪv/
fixed phrase
technical
word like my before a noun
a word like my or your that comes before a noun
Ejemplos
- In “my phone,” “my” is a possessive adjective.
- A possessive adjective is followed by a noun: “their house,” not “their is big.”
- “Her” can be a possessive adjective (“her car”) or an object pronoun (“I saw her”).
possessive apostrophe
1/pəzˈɛsɪv əpˈɔstɹəfi/
fixed phrase
apostrophe for ownership
An apostrophe that shows something belongs to someone.
Ejemplos
- The editor fixed the possessive apostrophe in “the cats’ bowls.”
- A possessive apostrophe is not used with possessive pronouns like “hers.”
- They debated whether to write “Jess’” or “Jess’s” as the possessive apostrophe form.
possessive apostrophe
1/pəzˈɛsɪv əpˈɔstɹəfi/
fixed phrase
technical
apostrophe used to show possession
an apostrophe that shows belonging
Ejemplos
- Don’t forget the possessive apostrophe in “the students’ projects.”
- The possessive apostrophe goes before the s in most singular nouns: “the cat’s bowl.”
- “Its” has no possessive apostrophe, but “it’s” is a contraction.
possessive case
1/pəzˈɛsɪv kˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
technical
grammar case marking possession
a grammar form that shows belonging
Ejemplos
- “Maria’s” is in the possessive case.
- In English, the possessive case is usually formed with ’s.
- Some phrases use the possessive case to show time: “a day’s work.”
possessive determiner
1/pəzˈɛsɪv dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
determiner showing ownership
A word like my or their before a noun.
Ejemplos
- In “our house,” “our” is a possessive determiner.
- She replaced “the report” with “her report” by adding a possessive determiner.
possessive determiner
1/pəzˈɛsɪv dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
determiner showing belonging
a word like my or their before a noun
Ejemplos
- In modern grammar, my and your are often called possessive determiners.
- A possessive determiner usually comes at the start of a noun phrase: “his new job.”
- “Its” is a possessive determiner, while “it’s” means “it is.”
possessive pronoun
1/pəzˈɛsɪv pɹˈoʊnaʊn/
fixed phrase
technical
pronoun that shows ownership
a word like mine or yours
Ejemplos
- “Mine” is a possessive pronoun.
- Use a possessive pronoun when the noun is already clear: “Is this your bag?” “No, it’s hers.”
- In “The choice is yours,” “yours” is a possessive pronoun.
possessive pronoun
1/pəzˈɛsɪv pɹˈoʊnaʊn/
fixed phrase
technical
pronoun showing ownership
A word like “mine” or “theirs” that means something belongs to someone.
Ejemplos
- “That seat is mine” uses a possessive pronoun.
- Don’t write “her’s”; the correct possessive pronoun is “hers.”
- In “The choice is yours,” “yours” is a possessive pronoun.