transitive

American  

[tran-si-tiv, -zi-] / ˈtræn sɪ tɪv, -zɪ- /

adjective

1. Grammar. having the nature of a transitive verb.

2. characterized by or involving transition; transitional; intermediate.

3. passing over to or affecting something else; transeunt.

4. Mathematics. noting a relation in which one element in relation to a second element and the second in relation to a third element implies the first element is in relation to the third element, as the relation “less than or equal to.”

---

noun

1. Grammar. a transitive verb.

transitive British  

/ ˈtrænsɪtɪv /

adjective

1. grammar

   1. denoting an occurrence of a verb when it requires a direct object or denoting a verb that customarily requires a direct object

      ``to find'' is a transitive verb

   2. ( as noun )

      these verbs are transitives

2. grammar denoting an adjective, such as fond , or a noun, such as husband , that requires a noun phrase and cannot be used without some implicit or explicit reference to such a noun phrase

3. logic maths having the property that if one object bears a relationship to a second object that also bears the same relationship to a third object, then the first object bears this relationship to the third object

   mathematical equality is transitive, since if x = y and y = z then x = z

---

transitive Scientific  

/ trăn′sĭ-tĭv /

1. Of or relating to a mathematical or logical relation between three elements such that if the relation holds between the first and second elements and between the second and third elements, it necessarily holds between the first and third elements. The relation of being greater than in mathematics is transitive, since if a > b and b > c, then a > c.

---

Other Word Forms

• nontransitive adjective
• nontransitively adverb
• nontransitiveness noun
• transitively adverb
• transitiveness noun
• transitivity noun
• untransitive adjective
• untransitively adverb
• untransitiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of transitive

First recorded in 1550–60; from Late Latin trānsitīvus, equivalent to Latin trānsit(us) ( transition ) + -īvus -ive

Explanation

Use the adjective transitive when you're talking about a verb that needs both a subject and at least one object, like "give" in this sentence: "I will give you a cupcake if you're really nice." You're only going to hear the word transitive in a grammar lesson, although you probably use transitive verbs all the time. While an intransitve verb, like to die, doesn't need an object — you can say "My dog died," for example — a transitive verb has a direct object upon which an action is performed. This grammatical meaning has been in use since the 1500s.

Example Sentences

Intransitive dice surprise our intuitions because the relation “typically rolls higher than” is not transitive, even though it seems like it should be.

From Scientific American • Sep. 19, 2023

Missing hyphens or incorrect capitalization, ambiguities about singular and plural nouns or transitive and intransitive verbs — no question is too insignificant.

From Seattle Times • May 29, 2023

Missing hyphens or incorrect capitalization, ambiguities about singular and plural nouns or transitive and intransitive verbs - no question is too insignificant.

From Washington Times • May 29, 2023

This demonstrates the fundamental difference between a talk-variety show where the title delineates the host by using a preposition, "with," instead of a transitive verb, i.e, "starring."

From Salon • Jan. 20, 2023

Presumably Bill Clinton, who uttered the first sentence while running for president in 1992, would never have said Give I a chance, because a noun phrase next to a transitive verb is obviously accusative.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker