augmentative

American  

[awg-men-tuh-tiv] / ɔgˈmɛn tə tɪv /

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.”

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noun

1. Grammar. an augmentative element or formation.

augmentative British  

/ ɔːɡˈmɛntətɪv /

adjective

1. tending or able to augment

2. grammar

   1. 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

   2. denoting a word formed by the addition of an augmentative affix

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noun

1. grammar an augmentative word or affix

Usage

What does augmentative mean? Augmentative is used to describe things that augment or are intended to augment something—add to it in a way that makes it bigger or better.The general sense of augment is used in a variety of contexts where something is literally or figuratively increased in size, number, shape, value, or quality or in some other way.A process to add something to a material to make it stronger could be described as augmentative. Additional learning materials used by a teacher to supplement the textbook could be described as augmentative.Augmentative is also used in a much more specific way in the context of grammar, but its general sense is much more commonly used.Example: The addition of new materials to the collection is meant to be augmentative—they are not meant to replace the existing items.

Other Word Forms

• augmentatively adverb
• nonaugmentative adjective
• unaugmentative adjective

Etymology

Origin of augmentative

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

Example Sentences

This same study by Stanford professor Erik Brynjolfsson and his co-authors found that employment has grown in jobs where AI use is augmentative rather than automative.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 5, 2025

Jason sometimes uses an augmentative and alternative communication or AAC device, but it is not his preferred way of communicating — as he can now tell us via the letterboard.

From Salon • Aug. 28, 2024

We therefore chose to work with the sense of touch instead to communicate augmentative cues.

From Slate • Mar. 22, 2018

“In the field of augmentative communication, we want to empower people with disabilities to speak their own minds, so if someone else is speaking, that is a big problem,” he said.

From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2017

This gives us an earlier form andier, and the augmentative andieron would be our word.—Baggage.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 06, No. 34, August, 1860 by Various