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

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

From The Guardian • May 20, 2019

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

From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2016

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 • Nov. 3, 2014

The preposition “in,” with the accusative case, means against a person, as in “Against Guldin,” which was, plainly enough, the point of the response.

From Scientific American • Jul. 20, 2014

Therefore, according to this way of thinking, the pronouns in a coordination must also be accusative: between you and me.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker