as in materialism
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Recent Examples of possessiveness
There’s a constant intertwining of protectiveness and possessiveness with Ruben in terms of his relationship to Niall.
—
K.j. Yossman, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
One minute, Ruben can be protecting Niall and have a sort of protective quality which is sort of beautiful, but then in the same sentence, can move into a toxic possessiveness.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2026
Guilt, jealousy or over-possessiveness might take hold of you.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Carmen grows tired of Don José’s possessiveness and returns to Seville alone to reunite with her lover Escamillo, the bullfighter.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
In the film, Brack’s attraction to Hedda, investment in her material future, and his familiarity with her father are all underlined, and by the end feel like a mounting pressure of desire and possessiveness directed at her.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Wright is magnetic, walking a fine line between maternal concern and suffocating possessiveness.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
There’s a certain irony in China’s possessiveness over its Labubu IP.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
The possessiveness people have around these characters is so intense.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
K.j. Yossman, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
One minute, Ruben can be protecting Niall and have a sort of protective quality which is sort of beautiful, but then in the same sentence, can move into a toxic possessiveness.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2026
Guilt, jealousy or over-possessiveness might take hold of you.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Carmen grows tired of Don José’s possessiveness and returns to Seville alone to reunite with her lover Escamillo, the bullfighter.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
In the film, Brack’s attraction to Hedda, investment in her material future, and his familiarity with her father are all underlined, and by the end feel like a mounting pressure of desire and possessiveness directed at her.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Wright is magnetic, walking a fine line between maternal concern and suffocating possessiveness.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
There’s a certain irony in China’s possessiveness over its Labubu IP.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
The possessiveness people have around these characters is so intense.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessiveness
Noun
-
This is a guy who could write these incredibly bigoted figures, and then also write this really searing indictment of American materialism.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The book is a Christian parable, pitting faith against 20th-century materialism.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Many critics of such wanton cosmic acquisitiveness balk at the idea of scarcely regulated private-sector lunar strip-mining.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
Following too closely in its protagonist’s footsteps, The Queen of Versailles presents only two options — tough but spiritually fulfilling material deprivation or unconstrained acquisitiveness.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Most accounts of the era blame greed—a new ethic of cupidity that displaced whatever youthful idealism remained from the 1960s.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
Kouri Richins was sentenced in a case that stunned observers with its mix of alleged greed, deception and deeply personal fallout.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
These morality tales, focusing on figures like Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky, make an implicit claim that individual avarice somehow explains the excesses of an entire era.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
The novel used all these tensions to propel a study of greed, avarice, and racial divisions between the haves and have nots, leading to McCoy getting his comeuppance.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
This rampant commercialism has taken over our sentimental holidays.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
People in the comments shared in the woman’s frustration, agreeing that her mother's greediness needs to be addressed.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
-
When kids didn’t withdraw, it was sometimes seen as greediness.—
Mary Frances Ruskell,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The French—and, later, Anglo (Wilde, Beardsley, Rossetti)—attitude, mannered and morbid, was perhaps too Old World, at odds with our cheerful, Protestant rapacity.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Unlike the specialized literary magazine and its informal cousin, the literary blog, the general-interest newspaper has a kind of noble rapacity, an encyclopedic ambition to wrap its arms around the whole of the world.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Simple fasting from food can be ruined — rendered not pleasing to Allah — if spoiled by telling lies, slander, denouncing someone behind his back, swearing a false oath, greed or covetousness.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possessiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessiveness. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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