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:

“It’s a little different. I ain’t played for two years, so I’ve got to watch the film, see what I did good, see what I did wrong and clean it up.”

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 22, 2026

“Every song feels different. It’s like every feeling I’ve ever felt condensed into 13 songs,” Lo said, in between sips of her iced tea.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 21, 2026

Speaking on the steps of the Senedd in Cardiff on Monday, Farage said: "I've known Helen for many, many years. She is a determined campaigner."

From BBC Sep. 21, 2026

Now I’ve lived long enough to have watched it go from an obscure grape pushed by cool-kid sommeliers to something that’s found on most shop shelves and wine lists in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 21, 2026

I don’t know what numbers will be called in next week’s lotto; I’ve no idea who’ll win the Super Bowl or when Rihanna’s gonna grace us with new music.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

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

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

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com