Possessive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /pəˈzɛs.ɪv/

Definitions

1. Relating to or showing a desire to own, control, or dominate something or someone
2. Expressing ownership or desire for control over someone or something
3. Indicative of an inclination to dominate or retain something for oneself

Etymology: The adjective "possessive" descends from a Latin verb that meant to seize or hold firmly. Latin "possidēre" combined "potis" (able, powerful) with "sedēre" (to sit), so its earliest sense was roughly "to sit upon" or "to be in control of" something, a physical image of settling onto property. From it came "possessiō," meaning the act of possessing, and then the adjective "possessivus," meaning of or pertaining to possession. The word reached English through Middle French "possessif," a route that carried its legal and grammatical flavour along with it. The sense "indicative of an inclination to dominate or retain something for oneself," the one given here, is the psychological meaning that developed on top of the older idea of simply owning something. The word thus moved from describing a fact of ownership to describing a character trait: someone who sits on what is theirs and will not let it go.

Synonyms: ownership, greedy, controlling, selfish, clinging

Antonyms: generous, unselfish, liberating, nonchalant, open-handed