reflexive

[ ri-flek-siv ]

adjective

1. Grammar.
   1. (of a verb) taking a subject and object with identical referents, as shave in I shave myself.
   2. (of a pronoun) used as an object to refer to the subject of a verb, as myself in I shave myself.
2. reflex; responsive.
3. able to reflect; reflective.
4. Mathematics.
   1. noting a relation in which each element is in relation to itself, as the relation “less than or equal to.” Compare antireflexive.
   2. (of a vector space) having the property that the dual space of the dual space of the given vector space equals the given vector space.

noun

1. Grammar. a reflexive verb or pronoun.

reflexive

/ rɪˈflɛksɪv; ˌriːflɛkˈsɪvɪtɪ /

adjective

1. denoting a class of pronouns that refer back to the subject of a sentence or clause. Thus, in the sentence that man thinks a great deal of himself , the pronoun himself is reflexive
2. denoting a verb used transitively with the reflexive pronoun as its direct object, as the French se lever "to get up" (literally "to raise oneself") or English to dress oneself
3. physiol of or relating to a reflex
4. logic maths (of a relation) holding between any member of its domain and itself Compare irreflexive nonreflexive

   "… is a member of the same family as …" is reflexive

noun

1. a reflexive pronoun or verb

reflexive

/ rĭ-flĕk′sĭv /

1. Of or relating to a mathematical or logical relation such that, for any given element, that element has the given relation to itself. Equality in mathematics is a reflexive relation, since a = a for all a, whereas the relation of being 'less than' is not, since it is not true that a

Derived Forms

• reˈflexiveness, noun
• reˈflexively, adverb

Other Words From

• re·flexive·ly adverb
• re·flexive·ness re·flex·iv·i·ty [ree-flek-, siv, -i-tee], noun
• semi·re·flexive adjective
• semi·re·flexive·ly adverb
• semi·re·flexive·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of reflexive¹

First recorded in 1580–90, reflexive is from the Medieval Latin word reflexīvus turned back, reflected. See reflex, -ive

Example Sentences

Much of it also seems reflexive, as if the governor is a puppet and his own ambition is pulling the strings.

From The Daily Beast

Although I didn’t know it at the time, my reflexive retreats into abstract realms was the nursery in which my individuality was fostered as a teenager.

From Nautilus

It becomes distorted, and is untethered from the reflexive and generative environment in which it was created, and can be used to serve quite different purposes.

From Time

Counterfactual information generation allows a conscious agent to detach itself from the environment and perform non-reflexive behavior, such as waiting for three seconds before acting.

From Nautilus

Taking a self-reflexive turn, she argued that high school oratory had become a race to one-up competitors with ever more harrowing personal stories.

From Time

In recent Republican congressional primaries, the rank-and-file has voted “no” to reflexive interventionism.

From The Daily Beast

There have been reflexive attempts to associate some recent mass shooters with the right-wing politics of incitement.

From The Daily Beast

It would be a reflexive resort to ideological self-satisfaction.

From The Daily Beast

There is a history here that makes a reflexive negative response to a military coup understandable.

From The Daily Beast

So I now have this sort of reflexive flinch when the jobs report comes out, as I half-expect a big blow to fall.

From The Daily Beast

The termination uba is that of the third person of reflexive verbs.

From Project Gutenberg

The intransitive form derives from the transitive by dropping a generalized, customary, reflexive or cognate object.

From Project Gutenberg

Alteration to hine would give a common reflexive use, rejoices; comp.

From Project Gutenberg

Her indignation at the woman who had supplanted her swept over her with a reflexive flush of heat.

From Project Gutenberg

I think I put out my hand, or made some other reflexive gesture to stop her, but either she failed to notice or misunderstood.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• compulsory
• forced
• spontaneous
• uncontrolled
• unintentional