CEFR B1

possessive

adjective

Meaning

Showing a desire to own or control something or someone; unwilling to share.

Examples

He became very possessive of his new car, refusing to let anyone else drive it.
She had a possessive streak, always wanting to know where her boyfriend was.

Synonyms: selfish, hoarding, controlling, jealous

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possessive (B1)

adjective

Pronunciation: /pəˈzesɪv/

Definition

Showing a desire to own or control something or someone; unwilling to share.

Examples

He became very possessive of his new car, refusing to let anyone else drive it.
She had a possessive streak, always wanting to know where her boyfriend was.
The dog growled at anyone who came near its food bowl, displaying a possessive nature.

How to Use possessive

possessive of (prepositional phrase): Showing a desire to own or control something or someone. — "He was very possessive of his collection of rare books."
possessive about (prepositional phrase): Showing a strong desire to keep something for oneself. — "She's quite possessive about her garden and doesn't like people walking on the grass."

Synonyms of possessive

Words with a similar meaning to possessive:

Antonyms of possessive

Words with the opposite meaning to possessive:

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