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genitive definition

geni·tive (jen′i tiv)

adjective

Gram. designating, of, or in a relational case typically expressing possession, source, or a partitive concept

Etymology: ME genitif < OFr < L (casus) genitivus, lit., (case) of orig. < genitus (see genital): mistransl. < Gr genikē, generic (case), (case) of genus < Gr genos, genus

noun

  1. the genitive case: expressed by inflection in languages such as Latin and either by an analytical construction or by inflection in English (Ex.: the sons of the queen; the queen's sons)
  2. a word or phrase in this case

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