genitive
Americanadjective
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(in certain inflected languages) noting a case of nouns, pronouns, or adjectives, used primarily to express possession, measure, or origin: as John's hat, week's vacation, duty's call.
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noting an affix or other element characteristic of this case, or a word containing such an element.
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similar to such a case form in function or meaning.
noun
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genitives
plural
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the genitive case.
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a word in the genitive case.
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a construction noting this case or the relationship usually expressed by it.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of genitive
1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin genitīvus, equivalent to genit ( us ) (past participle of gignere to beget) + -īvus -ive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The species name populi is a Latin singular noun in the genitive case meaning "of the people."
From Science Daily ● Feb. 7, 2026
During the Force Majeure show, Izzard gets to grips with German sentence structure and declensions, earning knowing applause from the Berlin crowd for his perfect use of the fiendishly tricky genitive case at one stage.
From Reuters ● Jan. 29, 2014
The genitive you are mine / is a phrase I cherished only when I'd moved on / and couldn't use it.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 20, 2013
Definiteness can be marked by other th-words such as this, that, these, and those, or with a genitive noun, as in Claire’s knee or Jerry’s kids.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
But add either an article, as in A daughter cooked dinner, or a genitive, as in Jenny’s daughter cooked dinner, and the sentence is complete.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Our ancestors knew nothing of our mode of making genitives by turned commas.
From Notes and Queries, Number 203, September 17, 1853 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by George Bell
Beetle sat down relieved, well knowing that a reef of uncharted genitives stretched ahead of him, on which in spite of M'Turk's sailing-directions he would infallibly have been wrecked.
From A Diversity of Creatures by Rudyard Kipling
But the two genitives, Patris, majestatis, suggest the accusative Patrem; and already the addition of Spiritum has suggested the inclusion, under Te, of the Three Persons.
From The Prayer Book Explained by Percival Jackson
It is one of the common genitives of the Gaelic dialects, and as such is important, for it is not recognised in Welsh or Breton.
From A Handbook of the Cornish Language chiefly in its latest stages with some account of its history and literature by Henry Jenner
In other words, why do we call him and them accusatives rather than datives or genitives?
From A Handbook of the English Language by R. G. (Robert Gordon) Latham
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