intransitive

[ in-tran-si-tiv ]

/ ɪnˈtræn sɪ tɪv /

Grammar

Save This Word!

adjective

noting or having the quality of an intransitive verb.

noun

intransitive verb.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of intransitive

From the Latin word intrānsitīvus, dating back to 1605–15. See in-³, transitive

OTHER WORDS FROM intransitive

in·tran·si·tive·ly, adverbin·tran·si·tive·ness, noun

Words nearby intransitive

intranational, intranet, intrans., intransigence, intransigent, intransitive, intransitive verb, in transitu, intrant, intranuclear, intraocular

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use intransitive in a sentence

This meaning of , taken as intransitive, is rather vague, but I believe substantially correct.
Expositor's Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians|James Denney
The intransitive form derives from the transitive by dropping a generalized, customary, reflexive or cognate object.
Instigations|Ezra Pound
Indeed, the intransitive form of the Anglo-Saxon verb winnan, whence our win, signifies "To gain the victory."
On Some Ancient Battle-Fields in Lancashire|Charles Hardwick
Smake, perceive by smell; a rare transitive use; see 211/497 for the intransitive, give out a smell.
Selections from Early Middle English 1130-1250: Part II: Notes|Various

What looks at first, therefore, like a copula turns out to be merely an impersonal intransitive verb.
The Soul of the Far East|Percival Lowell

British Dictionary definitions for intransitive

intransitive

/ (ɪnˈtrænsɪtɪv) /

adjective

denoting a verb when it does not require a direct object
denoting a verb that customarily does not require a direct object"to faint" is an intransitive verb
(as noun) a verb in either of these categories

denoting an adjective or noun that does not require any particular noun phrase as a referent

logic maths (of a relation) having the property that if it holds between one argument and a second, and between the second and a third, it must fail to hold between the first and the third"being the mother of" is an intransitive relation

Compare transitive, pseudo-intransitive

Derived forms of intransitive

intransitively, adverbintransitivity or intransitiveness, noun

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