accusative

American  

[uh-kyoo-zuh-tiv] / əˈkyu zə tɪv /

adjective

1. Grammar.

   1. (in certain inflected languages, as Latin, Greek, or Russian) noting a case whose distinctive function is to indicate the direct object of a verb or the object of certain prepositions.

   2. similar to such a case form in function or meaning.

2. Linguistics. pertaining to a type of language in which there is an accusative case or in which subjects of transitive verbs behave the same way as subjects of intransitive verbs.

3. accusatory.

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noun

1. an accusative case.

2. a word in an accusative case.

3. a form or construction of similar function.

accusative British  

/ əˌkjuːzəˈtaɪvəl, əˈkjuːzətɪv /

adjective

1. grammar denoting a case of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in inflected languages that is used to identify the direct object of a finite verb, of certain prepositions, and for certain other purposes See also objective

2. another word for accusatorial

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noun

1. grammar

   1. the accusative case

   2. a word or speech element in the accusative case

Other Word Forms

• accusatival adjective
• accusatively adverb
• self-accusative adjective

Etymology

Origin of accusative

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, or directly from Latin accūsātīvus, equivalent to ac-, a variant of the prefix ad- + -cūsātīvus, combining form of causātīvus “pertaining to a lawsuit; accusative (case) (as if a defendant in a lawsuit)”; loan translation of Greek aitiatikḗ, in the sense “pointing to the origin or cause, accusing;” in Stoic grammatical theory “that which is caused by the verb”; ad-, causative

Example Sentences

“Well, we can attack and still use epi, but we have to use an accusative because of the first rules.”

From Literature

“It’s less accusative, and puts you in control. So, ‘I feel ...’ rather than ‘You make me feel ...’.”

From The Guardian

The object of a preposition like between must be in the accusative case: we say between us or between them, not between we or between they.

From Literature

It could never tell you if a pronoun took the dative or the accusative case.

From New York Times

As he knows, the nominative and accusative cases are the reason that we don’t say gibberish like “Her gave it to he and then sat by we here!”

From The New Yorker