singulative

[ sing-gyuh-luh-tiv ]

noun
  1. a grammatical form or construction that expresses a singular entity or indicates that an individual is singled out from a group, especially as opposed to a collective noun. Snowflake is the singulative formed from the collective noun snow.

adjective
  1. noting or pertaining to such a form or construction.

Origin of singulative

1
First recorded in 1950–55; from French singulatif, equivalent to singulaire + -atif; see origin at singular, -ative

Words Nearby singulative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024