partitive

[ pahr-ti-tiv ]

adjective

1. serving to divide into parts.
2. Grammar. noting part of a whole:

   the Latin partitive genitive.

noun

1. Grammar. a partitive word or formation, as of the men in half of the men.

partitive

/ ˈpɑːtɪtɪv /

adjective

1. grammar indicating that a noun involved in a construction refers only to a part or fraction of what it otherwise refers to. The phrase some of the butter is a partitive construction; in some inflected languages it would be translated by the genitive case of the noun
2. serving to separate or divide into parts

noun

1. grammar a partitive linguistic element or feature

Derived Forms

• ˈpartitively, adverb

Other Words From

• parti·tive·ly adverb
• un·parti·tive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of partitive¹

1510–20; < Medieval Latin partītīvus divisive, equivalent to Latin partīt ( us ), past participle of partīrī to divide ( party ) + -īvus -ive

Word History and Origins

Origin of partitive¹

C16: from Medieval Latin partītīvus serving to divide, from Latin partīre to divide

Example Sentences

All is used with of, like a partitive; as, all of a thing, all of us.

From Project Gutenberg

It is not a predicate adjective, but a partitive genitive after hwæt.

From Project Gutenberg

The partitive article is used precisely as in French.

From Project Gutenberg

How is the sense of nouns commonly made indefinitely partitive?

From Project Gutenberg

These three parts are: first, nouns—the names of things; second, verbs—the names of events; and, third, the partitives—or the words which express the relations of things to events.

From Project Gutenberg