partitive

[ pahr-ti-tiv ]

adjective
  1. serving to divide into parts.

  2. Grammar. noting part of a whole: the Latin partitive genitive.

noun
  1. Grammar. a partitive word or formation, as of the men in half of the men.

Origin of partitive

1
1510–20; <Medieval Latin partītīvus divisive, equivalent to Latin partīt(us), past participle of partīrī to divide (see party) + -īvus-ive

Other words from partitive

  • par·ti·tive·ly, adverb
  • un·par·ti·tive, adjective

Words Nearby partitive

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How to use partitive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for partitive

partitive

/ (ˈpɑːtɪtɪv) /


adjective
  1. grammar indicating that a noun involved in a construction refers only to a part or fraction of what it otherwise refers to. The phrase some of the butter is a partitive construction; in some inflected languages it would be translated by the genitive case of the noun

  2. serving to separate or divide into parts

noun
  1. grammar a partitive linguistic element or feature

Origin of partitive

1
C16: from Medieval Latin partītīvus serving to divide, from Latin partīre to divide

Derived forms of partitive

  • partitively, adverb

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