illative

[ il-uh-tiv, ih-ley-tiv ]

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or expressing illation; inferential: an illative word such as “therefore.”

  2. Grammar. noting a case, as in Finnish, whose distinctive function is to indicate place into or toward which.

noun
  1. Grammar. the illative case.

Origin of illative

1
1585–95; <Late Latin illātīvus, equivalent to illāt- (see illation) + -īvus-ive

Other words from illative

  • il·la·tive·ly, adverb
  • non·il·la·tive, adjective
  • non·il·la·tive·ly, adverb

Words Nearby illative

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How to use illative in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for illative

illative

/ (ɪˈleɪtɪv) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to illation; inferential

  2. grammar denoting a word or morpheme used to signal inference, for example so or therefore

  1. (in the grammar of Finnish and other languages) denoting a case of nouns expressing a relation of motion or direction, usually translated by the English prepositions into or towards: Compare elative (def. 1)

noun
  1. grammar

    • the illative case

    • an illative word or speech element

Origin of illative

1
C16: from Late Latin illātīvus inferring, concluding

Derived forms of illative

  • illatively, adverb

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