intransitive

intransitive

English

Etymology

    From in- + transitive.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ɪnˈtɹænsətɪv/, /ɪnˈtɹænzətɪv/
      • Audio (Southern England):(file)

    Adjective

    intransitive (not comparable)

    1. (grammar, of a verb) Not transitive: not having, or not taking, a direct object.
      The word "drink" is a transitive verb in "they drink wine", but an intransitive one in "they drink often."
    2. (rare) Not transitive or passing further; kept; detained.
      • 1664-1667, Jeremy Taylor, Dissuasive from Popery
        And then it is for the image's sake and so far is intransitive; but whatever is paid more to the image is transitive and passes further.
    3. (probability) Of a set of dice: containing three dice A, B, and C, with the property that A rolls higher than B more than half the time, and B rolls higher than C more than half the time, but lacking the property that A rolls higher than C more than half the time. See intransitive dice and intransitive game.

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

    Translations

    See also

    Noun

    intransitive (plural intransitives)

    1. (grammar) An intransitive verb.
      • 2011, Carmen Dobrovie-Sorin, The Syntax of Romanian: Comparative Studies in Romance, page 136:
        This means that subcategorization properties do not allow us to distinguish between transitives and intransitives (both types of verbs are allowed, but not obliged, to take a direct object).

    French

    Pronunciation

    Adjective

    intransitive

    1. feminine singular of intransitif

    German

    Pronunciation

    Adjective

    intransitive

    1. inflection of intransitiv:
      1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
      2. strong nominative/accusative plural
      3. weak nominative all-gender singular
      4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

    Italian

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /in.tran.siˈti.ve/
    • Rhymes: -ive
    • Hyphenation: in‧tran‧si‧tì‧ve

    Adjective

    intransitive f pl

    1. feminine plural of intransitivo

    Anagrams