as in materialism
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Recent Examples of possessiveness
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
There’s a touch of possessiveness that comes out when Eloise refers to Sophie as her lady’s maid.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 31 Jan. 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
But there’s a shiver of possessiveness in his bearing, something the filmmaker suggests through subtle means like a lingering glimpse of Pedro’s hand gripping Lina’s desk.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
There’s a touch of possessiveness that comes out when Eloise refers to Sophie as her lady’s maid.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 31 Jan. 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
But there’s a shiver of possessiveness in his bearing, something the filmmaker suggests through subtle means like a lingering glimpse of Pedro’s hand gripping Lina’s desk.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessiveness
Noun
-
The book is a Christian parable, pitting faith against 20th-century materialism.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Crucially, however, there is another view onto Bove’s sculpture beyond the double illusionism of its oblique materialism and front-facing near-pictorialism.—
Gordon Hughes,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
There are lots of complex reasons and complex factors that go into gas price at the pump, and the greed of oil companies is just one of them.—
Kyle Cheromcha,
The Drive,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One reason for targeting Ashaal could have been run-of-the-mill avarice.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Goodwill is corrupted on arrival by the modern virtue of avarice.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Of its 50 million annual visitors, many head to Navy Pier, the downtown Loop, and the Riverwalk—areas that are known to be big draws for out-of-towners and therefore amass a concentration of souvenir shops, pricey dining, and other in-your-face commercialism.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Mar. 2026
-
American malls were once the mecca of commercialism.—
Neil Strebig,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
25 Feb. 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
-
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
-
Trump’s entire doctrine is naked rapacity, from Venezuela to hijacking the Kennedy Center to hideously remaking the White House in his own gaudy image.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 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 7 Apr. 2026.
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