prepositive

American  

[pree-poz-i-tiv] / priˈpɒz ɪ tɪv /

adjective

1. (of a word) placed before another word to modify it or to show its relation to other parts of the sentence. In red book, red is a prepositive adjective. John's in John's book is a prepositive genitive.

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noun

1. a word placed before another as a modifier or to show its relation to other parts of the sentence.

prepositive British  

/ priːˈpɒzɪtɪv /

adjective

1. (of a word or speech element) placed before the word governed or modified

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noun

1. a prepositive element

Other Word Forms

• prepositively adverb

Etymology

Origin of prepositive

First recorded in 1575–85, prepositive is from the Late Latin word praepositīvus prefixed. See preposition ¹, -ive

Example Sentences

The prepositive syllable im, when followed by a small vowel, is written im, as in imlich to lick, imcheist perplexity.

From Project Gutenberg

Of these component parts, the former may be conveniently named the Prepositive, the latter the Subjunctive term.

From Project Gutenberg

Words beginning with a Lingual when the Prepositive term ends in n; 3.

From Project Gutenberg

A rule may then be derived from the pronunciation for the use of the hyphen in writing Compounds, viz., to insert the hyphen between the component parts, when the Prepositive term is not accented.

From Project Gutenberg

The prepositive particles dis and mis, derived from the des and mes of the French, signify almost the same as un; yet dis rather imports contrariety than privation, since it answers to the Latin preposition de.

From Project Gutenberg