augmentative

[ awg-men-tuh-tiv ]

adjective
  1. serving to augment.

  2. Grammar. pertaining to or productive of a form denoting increased size or intensity. In Spanish the augmentative suffix -ón is added to a word (as silla “chair”) to indicate increased size, as in sillón “armchair.”

noun
  1. Grammar. an augmentative element or formation.

Origin of augmentative

1
1495–1505; augment + -ative; replacing augmentatif<Middle French

Other words from augmentative

  • aug·men·ta·tive·ly, adverb
  • non·aug·ment·a·tive, adjective, noun
  • un·aug·ment·a·tive, adjective

Words Nearby augmentative

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How to use augmentative in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for augmentative

augmentative

/ (ɔːɡˈmɛntətɪv) /


adjective
  1. tending or able to augment

  2. grammar

    • denoting an affix that may be added to a word to convey the meaning large or great; for example, the suffix -ote in Spanish, where hombre means man and hombrote big man

    • denoting a word formed by the addition of an augmentative affix

noun
  1. grammar an augmentative word or affix

  • Compare (for senses 2, 3): diminutive

Derived forms of augmentative

  • augmentatively, adverb

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