vegetative

[ vej-i-tey-tiv ]

/ ˈvɛdʒ ɪˌteɪ tɪv /

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See synonyms for vegetative on Thesaurus.com

adjective

growing or developing as or like plants; vegetating.

of, relating to, or concerned with vegetation or vegetable growth.

of or relating to the plant kingdom.

noting the parts of a plant not specialized for reproduction.

(of reproduction) asexual.

denoting or pertaining to those bodily functions that are performed unconsciously or involuntarily.

having the power to produce or support growth in plants: vegetative mold.

characterized by a lack of activity; inactive; passive: a vegetative state.

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Also veg·e·tive

[vej-i-tiv]. /ˈvɛdʒ ɪ tɪv/.

Origin of vegetative

1350–1400; Middle English vegetatyf<Medieval Latin vegetātīvus.See vegetate, -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM vegetative

veg·e·ta·tive·ly, adverbveg·e·ta·tive·ness, nounnon·veg·e·ta·tive, adjectivenon·veg·e·ta·tive·ly, adverb

non·veg·e·ta·tive·ness, nounnon·veg·e·tive, adjective

Words nearby vegetative

vegetal pole, vegetarian, vegetarianism, vegetate, vegetation, vegetative, vegetative reproduction, veggie, veggieburger, vegie, vego

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use vegetative in a sentence

The situation was so dire that the family of the patient had been told to expect she would remain in an irreversible vegetative state.
The hunt for hidden signs of consciousness in unreachable patients|Russ Juskalian|August 25, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Disorders of consciousness are a common consequence of severe brain injury and include comas and vegetative states.
New Research Shows How Dopamine Plays a Key Role in Consciousness|Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian|August 12, 2021|Singularity Hub
In a landmark study in 2006, a team of researchers showed that a 23-year-old woman, who suffered severe brain trauma and was thought to be in a vegetative state following a traffic accident, had signs of awareness.
New Research Shows How Dopamine Plays a Key Role in Consciousness|Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian|August 12, 2021|Singularity Hub
People who are in a coma or vegetative state are thought to have no internal experience, like seeing or hearing.
My Lab Uses Ultrasound to Stimulate Unconscious Patients - Facts So Romantic|Joshua Cain|June 15, 2021|Nautilus

Still a graduate student, I had begun co-conducting the first clinical trial using ultrasound to treat severe brain damage in patients with a “disorder of consciousness,” like coma or the vegetative state.
My Lab Uses Ultrasound to Stimulate Unconscious Patients - Facts So Romantic|Joshua Cain|June 15, 2021|Nautilus
Terri Schiavo, on the other hand, was in a vegetative state.
Families and Physicians Debate the True Meaning of Brain Death|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Richard Joseph|January 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“So settled, so still, so serene / Completely vegetative, cumcumbive, or potative, non-communicative, and green …” Bonkers.
‘American Horror Story’ Sings “The Name Game” and 12 Other Bizarre TV Musical Numbers (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|January 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The doctors told her to get busy and find a nursing home, as the prognosis was “a vegetative state at best.”
Families of the Fallen, Marching On|Abigail Pesta|November 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
While not brain-dead, the 81 year old exists in a persistent vegetative state.
Ariel Sharon's Twilight Zone|Lynn Sherr|October 19, 2009|DAILY BEAST
From the animal soul there likewise issued a splendor, which produced the vegetative soul.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy|Isaac Husik
From the vegetative soul proceeds again a splendor, from which is made the sphere (the heaven).
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy|Isaac Husik
Next to the soul comes the Sphere (the heaven), which arises in the horizon and shadow of the vegetative soul.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy|Isaac Husik
Hence the splendor of the vegetative soul is undoubtedly brighter than that of the sphere, which comes from its shadow.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy|Isaac Husik
Thus we are told that the soul consists of three powers, or three souls, the vegetative, the animal and the rational.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy|Isaac Husik

British Dictionary definitions for vegetative

vegetative

/ (ˈvɛdʒɪtətɪv) /

adjective

of, relating to, or denoting the nonreproductive parts of a plant, i.e. the stems, leaves, and roots, or growth that does not involve the reproductive parts

(of reproduction) characterized by asexual processes

of or relating to functions such as digestion, growth, and circulation rather than sexual reproduction

(of a style of living) dull, stagnant, unthinking, or passive

Derived forms of vegetative

vegetatively, adverbvegetativeness, noun

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

Scientific definitions for vegetative

vegetative

[ vĕj′ĭ-tā′tĭv ]

Relating to or characteristic of plants or their growth.

Relating to vegetative reproduction.

Relating to feeding and growth rather than reproduction, as in the mobile phase of plasmodial slime molds.

Relating to an impaired level of brain function in which a person responds reflexively to certain sensory stimuli but demonstrates no cognitive function.

vegetative

Origin of vegetative

OTHER WORDS FROM vegetative

Words nearby vegetative

Words related to vegetative

How to use vegetative in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vegetative

Derived forms of vegetative

Scientific definitions for vegetative