Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Jump To:
  • I've
    I've
    contraction of I have.
  • -ive
    -ive
    a suffix of adjectives (and nouns of adjectival origin) expressing tendency, disposition, function, connection, etc..

I've

1 American  
[ahyv] / aɪv /
  1. contraction of I have.


-ive 2 American  
  1. a suffix of adjectives (and nouns of adjectival origin) expressing tendency, disposition, function, connection, etc..

    active; corrective; destructive; detective; passive; sportive.


-ive 1 British  

suffix

  1. (forming adjectives) indicating a tendency, inclination, character, or quality

    divisive

    prohibitive

    festive

    massive

  2. ( forming nouns of adjectival origin )

    detective

    expletive

"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

I've 2 British  
/ aɪv /

contraction

  1. I have

"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

Usage

See contraction.

Etymology

Origin of -ive

< Latin -īvus; in some words, representing French -ive, feminine of -if

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:

“He might be one of the smartest rookies I’ve ever seen,” Pipkins said.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 12, 2026

"I've checked several times about going to the Grand Prix in Barcelona, but between the travel, the hotel, etc., I never went through with it. Here we're lucky, it's much more accessible."

From Barron's Sep. 12, 2026

But as I’ve learned from being on the receiving end of uninvited advice, sometimes you just want someone to listen without immediately telling you what to do.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 12, 2026

But a decade on, there are even more advances, and I've spoken to other blind parents to find out the best ways they tackle the challenges they face.

From BBC Sep. 12, 2026

I’ve already got number two down, but following number one and three haven’t gone so well.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

In Shakespeare many adjectives, especially those ending in -ful, -less, -ble, and -ive, have both an active and a passive meaning.

From The New Hudson Shakespeare: Julius Cæsar by Ebenezer Charlton Black

What should be done with the terminations -able, -ible, -tion, -cial, -tive, -ive, and -sion?

From Division of Words Rules for the Division of Words at the Ends of Lines, with Remarks on Spelling, Syllabication and Pronunciation by Frederick W. (Frederick William) Hamilton

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training