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definitions

illative

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

of, relating to, or expressing illation; inferential: an illative word such as “therefore.”
Grammar. noting a case, as in Finnish, whose distinctive function is to indicate place into or toward which.

noun

Grammar. the illative case.

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Nearby words

  1. ill-use,
  2. ill-wisher,
  3. ill.,
  4. illampu,
  5. illation,
  6. illatively,
  7. illaudable,
  8. illawarra,
  9. ille,
  10. ille-et-vilaine

Origin of illative

1585–95; < Late Latin illātīvus, equivalent to illāt- (see illation) + -īvus -ive
Related formsil·la·tive·ly, adverbnon·il·la·tive, adjectivenon·il·la·tive·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for illative

British Dictionary definitions for illative

illative

adjective

of or relating to illation; inferential
grammar denoting a word or morpheme used to signal inference, for example so or therefore
(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 towardsCompare elative (def. 1)

noun

grammar
  1. the illative case
  2. an illative word or speech element
Derived Formsillatively, adverb

Word Origin for illative

C16: from Late Latin illātīvus inferring, concluding
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 illative

illative

adj.

"inferential," 1610s, from Late Latin illativus, from Latin illatus "brought in," used as past participle of inferre. As a noun from 1590s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper