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  • I've
    I've
    contraction of I have.
  • -ive
    -ive
    a suffix of adjectives (and nouns of adjectival origin) expressing tendency, disposition, function, connection, etc..

I've

1 American  
[ahyv] / aɪv /
  1. contraction of I have.


-ive 2 American  
  1. a suffix of adjectives (and nouns of adjectival origin) expressing tendency, disposition, function, connection, etc..

    active; corrective; destructive; detective; passive; sportive.


-ive 1 British  

suffix

  1. (forming adjectives) indicating a tendency, inclination, character, or quality

    divisive

    prohibitive

    festive

    massive

  2. ( forming nouns of adjectival origin )

    detective

    expletive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

I've 2 British  
/ aɪv /

contraction

  1. I have

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

See contraction.

Etymology

Origin of -ive

< Latin -īvus; in some words, representing French -ive, feminine of -if

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"It's been a while that I've seen drivers," he said.

From BBC Sep. 6, 2026

"I've still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still. But that's the power structure," she added.

From Barron's Sep. 6, 2026

“There aren’t a lot like him that I’ve been around,” Telesco said.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 6, 2026

"It's changed mine and my children's lives... I've been able to save, I've bought my own car, and it's given me so much more confidence," she said.

From BBC Sep. 6, 2026

The only problem is, I’ve just come back from school, where I had a three-hour practice session.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

In Shakespeare many adjectives, especially those ending in -ful, -less, -ble, and -ive, have both an active and a passive meaning.

From The New Hudson Shakespeare: Julius Cæsar by Ebenezer Charlton Black

What should be done with the terminations -able, -ible, -tion, -cial, -tive, -ive, and -sion?

From Division of Words Rules for the Division of Words at the Ends of Lines, with Remarks on Spelling, Syllabication and Pronunciation by Frederick W. (Frederick William) Hamilton

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