POSSESSIVE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for POSSESSIVE?

Need another word that means the same as “possessive”? Find 15 synonyms and 30 related words for “possessive” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Possessive” are: genitive, proprietorial, overprotective, clinging, controlling, dominating, jealous, grasping, greedy, acquisitive, covetous, selfish, genitive case, possessive case

Possessive as a Noun

Definitions of "Possessive" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “possessive” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• The possessive case.
• A possessive word or form.
• The case expressing ownership.

Synonyms of "Possessive" as a noun (3 Words)

genitive	The genitive case.
genitive case	The case expressing ownership.
possessive case	The case expressing ownership.

Possessive as an Adjective

Definitions of "Possessive" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “possessive” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Serving to express or indicate possession.
• Desirous of owning.
• Showing an unwillingness to share one's possessions.
• Demanding someone's total attention and love.
• Having or showing a desire to control or dominate.
• Relating to or denoting the case of nouns and pronouns expressing possession.

Synonyms of "Possessive" as an adjective (12 Words)

acquisitive	Excessively interested in acquiring money or material things. We live in a competitive and acquisitive society.
clinging	(of a garment) fitting closely to the body and showing its shape. She wasn t the clinging type.
controlling	Able to control or determine policy. A controlling interest in the firm.
covetous	Having or showing a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else. Jealous of his success and covetous of his possessions.
dominating	Most powerful or important or influential. Looked up at the castle dominating the countryside.
genitive	Relating to or denoting a case of nouns and pronouns (and words in grammatical agreement with them) indicating possession or close association. The genitive endings.
grasping	Immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth. Grasping commercialism.
greedy	Wanting to eat or drink more than one can reasonably consume. He s scoffed the lot the greedy pig.
jealous	Feeling or showing a resentful suspicion that one’s partner is attracted to or involved with someone else. A jealous husband.
overprotective	Overly protective. Overprotective parents.
proprietorial	Behaving as if one owned a particular thing or person; possessive. Louis draped his arm across her shoulders in a proprietorial way.
selfish	Concerned chiefly or only with yourself and your advantage to the exclusion of others- Maria Weston Chapman. I joined them for selfish reasons.

Usage Examples of "Possessive" as an adjective

• A possessive parent.
• Possessive pronouns.
• Young children are proud and possessive of their own property.
• He placed a firm, possessive hand on her elbow.
• Small children are so possessive they will not let others play with their toys.
• Has he become jealous or possessive?

Associations of "Possessive" (30 Words)

accusative	The accusative case. Accusative endings.
acquisitive	Eager to acquire and possess things especially material possessions or ideas. An acquisitive mind.
adverb	A word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective verb or other adverb or a word group expressing a relation of place time circumstance manner cause degree etc e g gently quite then there.
avarice	Reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins. He was rich beyond the dreams of avarice.
covetousness	An envious eagerness to possess something.
cupidity	Greed for money or possessions. New wealth however tainted by cupidity and egoism tends to be favourable for the arts.
ego	(psychoanalysis) the conscious mind. He needed a boost to his ego.
egocentric	An egocentric person. Egocentric loners with an overinflated sense of self worth.
egoism	The theory that the pursuit of your own welfare in the basis of morality.
egotism	The fact of being excessively conceited or absorbed in oneself. In his arrogance and egotism he underestimated Gill.
egotist	A person who is excessively conceited or absorbed in themselves; a self-seeker. He is a self absorbed egotist.
genitive	The genitive case. The genitive endings.
grasping	The act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles. They were regarded as grasping landlords.
greed	Reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins. Mercenaries who had allowed greed to overtake their principles.
greedy	(often followed by `for’) ardently or excessively desirous. Greedy for money and power.
hubris	Overbearing pride or presumption. The self assured hubris among economists was shaken in the late 1980s.
lecherous	Having or showing excessive or offensive sexual desire. A lecherous good for nothing.
locative	The locative case.
obsession	The state of being obsessed with someone or something. She cared for him with a devotion bordering on obsession.
predatory	Living by or given to victimizing others for personal gain. She always felt at the mercy of predatory men.
prehensile	(chiefly of an animal’s limb or tail) capable of grasping. Prehensile employers stingy with raises for their employees.
rapacious	Excessively greedy and grasping. Rapacious landlords.
raptorial	Relating to or characteristic of birds of prey. Raptorial birds.
ravening	Living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey. They turned on each other like ravening wolves.
selfish	Concerned chiefly or only with yourself and your advantage to the exclusion of others- Maria Weston Chapman. I joined them for selfish reasons.
sordid	Unethical or dishonest. The sordid details of his orgies stank under his very nostrils.
unscrupulous	Without scruples or principles. Unscrupulous landlords might be tempted to harass existing tenants.
usury	An exorbitant or unlawful rate of interest. The medieval prohibition on usury.
vanity	The quality of being worthless or futile. It flattered his vanity to think I was in love with him.
vocative	A word in the vocative case. Vocative verb endings.