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definitions

emotive

[ ih-moh-tiv ]
/ ɪˈmoʊ tɪv /
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adjective

characterized by or pertaining to emotion: the emotive and rational capacities of humankind.
productive of or directed toward the emotions: Artistic distortion is often an emotive use of form.

RELATED WORDS

affective, heartwarming, moving, stirring, touching, affectional

Nearby words

  1. emotionalist,
  2. emotionality,
  3. emotionalize,
  4. emotionally correct,
  5. emotionless,
  6. emotive meaning,
  7. emotivism,
  8. emp,
  9. emp.,
  10. empale

Origin of emotive

First recorded in 1725–35; emot(ion) + -ive
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for emotive

British Dictionary definitions for emotive

emotive

/ (ɪˈməʊtɪv) /

adjective

tending or designed to arouse emotion
of or characterized by emotion
Derived Formsemotively, adverbemotiveness or emotivity, noun

usage

Emotional is preferred to emotive when describing a display of emotion: he was given an emotional (not emotive) welcome
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for emotive

emotive

v.

1735, "causing movement," from Latin emot-, past participle stem of emovere (see emotion) + -ive. Meaning "capable of emotion" is from 1881; that of "evoking emotions" is from 1923, originally in literary criticism.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper