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transitive - 6 dictionary results

tran⋅si⋅tive

  [tran-si-tiv, -zi-]
Use transitive in a Sentence
–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
5. Grammar. transitive verb.
Origin:
1550–60; < LL trānsitīvus, equiv. to L trānsit(us) (see transition ) + -īvus -ive

Related forms:
tran⋅si⋅tive⋅ly, adverb
tran⋅si⋅tive⋅ness, tran⋅si⋅tiv⋅i⋅ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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tran·si·tive   (trān'sĭ-tĭv, -zĭ-)   
adj.  
  1. Abbr. trans. or tr. or t. Grammar Expressing an action carried from the subject to the object; requiring a direct object to complete meaning. Used of a verb or verb construction.
  2. Characterized by or involving transition.
  3. Logic & Mathematics Of or relating to a relationship between three elements such that if the relationship holds between the first and second elements and between the second and third elements, it necessarily holds between the first and third elements. Examples of transitive relationships are equality for numbers and divisibility for integers.
n.   Grammar
A transitive verb.

[Late Latin trānsitīvus, passing over (translation of Greek diabibastikos), from trānsitus, past participle of trānsīre, to go over; see transient.]
tran'si·tive·ly adv., tran'si·tive·ness, tran'si·tiv'i·ty n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Transitive

Tran"si*tive\, a. [L. transitivus: cf. F. transitif. See Transient.]

1. Having the power of making a transit, or passage. [R.] --Bacon.

2. Effected by transference of signification.

By far the greater part of the transitive or derivative applications of words depend on casual and unaccountable caprices of the feelings or the fancy. --Stewart.

3. (Gram.) Passing over to an object; expressing an action which is not limited to the agent or subject, but which requires an object to complete the sense; as, a transitive verb, for example, he holds the book. -- Tran"si*tive*ly, adv. -- Tran"si*tive*ness, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : transitive
Spanish: transitivo,
German: transitiv,
Japanese: 他動詞の
More Translations »

transitive 
"taking a direct object" (of verbs), 1571 (implied in transitively), from L.L. transitivus (Priscian) "transitive," lit. "that may pass over (to another person)," from transire "go or cross over" (see transient).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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transitive   (trān'sĭ-tĭv)  Pronunciation Key 
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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transitive
A relation R is transitive if x R y & y R z => x R z. Equivalence relations, pre-, partial and total orders are all transitive.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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