auxiliary verb

American  

[awg-zil-yuh-ree vurb, -zil-uh-] / ɔgˈzɪl yə ri ˌvɜrb, -ˈzɪl ə- /

noun

Grammar.

1. a verb used before and together with certain forms of other verbs, such as infinitives or participles, to express distinctions of tense, duration, possibility, obligation, etc., as in I am listening, We have spoken, They can see, Did you go?

---

auxiliary verb British  

noun

1. a verb used to indicate the tense, voice, mood, etc, of another verb where this is not indicated by inflection, such as English will in he will go, was in he was eating and he was eaten, do in I do like you, etc

---

auxiliary verb Cultural  

1. A “helping” verb that modifies the main verb, as in “Gail can win,” “Gail did win,” “Gail could have won.” A question often begins with an auxiliary verb: “Did Gail win?” “Could Gail lose?” The various forms of the verbs can, have, is, and does frequently act as auxiliaries.

---

Etymology

Origin of auxiliary verb

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

Similarly, the allegedly unsplittable verb will execute is not a verb at all but two verbs, the auxiliary verb will and the main verb execute.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

The Yaruri language constructs the whole of its conjugation in a yet simpler manner by means of an auxiliary verb.

From The Philosophic Grammar of American Languages, as Set Forth by Wilhelm von Humboldt With the Translation of an Unpublished Memoir by Him on the American Verb by Brinton, Daniel Garrison

Keeping to the auxiliary verb to be, we find that I am is in Sanskrit Greek Lithuanian asmi esmi esmi.

From Lectures on The Science of Language by Müller, Max

Can, an auxiliary verb, used nearly as we now use did.

From Lancelot of the Laik A Scottish Metrical Romance by Skeat, Walter W. (Walter William)

There is but one auxiliary verb in Esperanto, esti = to be.

From The International Auxiliary Language Esperanto Grammar and Commentary by Cox, George