locative

American  

[lok-uh-tiv] / ˈlɒk ə tɪv /

adjective

1. (in certain inflected languages) noting a case whose distinctive function is to indicate place in or at which, as Latin domī “at home.”

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noun

1. the locative case.

2. a word in that case.

locative British  

/ ˈlɒkətɪv /

adjective

1. (of a word or phrase) indicating place or direction

2. denoting a case of nouns, etc, that refers to the place at which the action described by the verb occurs

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noun

1. 1. the locative case

   2. a word or speech element in this case

Other Word Forms

• unlocative adjective

Etymology

Origin of locative

1795–1805; locate + -ive, on the model of vocative

Example Sentences

GPS imaging, a digitally animated rendering of a figure in a given space enabled by satellite locative technologies, serves a similar purpose in these narratives, and is used both alongside and interchangeably with satellite photography.

From Slate • Jun. 29, 2017

It’s worth saying that locative memory—though most startling in its results and most intriguing in the hints it gives about neuropsychology—isn’t the only game in town.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

“I’m sorry, but would the locative case do?”

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

The locative primarily denotes rest in a place, the ablative motion from a place, and the instrumental the means or concomitance of an action.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various

The locative may be expressed by simply placing the noun before the verb.

From Lectures on The Science of Language by Müller, Max