optative Hear it!

optative Definition

op·ta·tive (äp′tə tiv)

adjective

  1. expressing wish or desire
  2. designating or of the grammatical mood, as in Greek, which expresses wish or desire

Etymology: Fr optatif < LL optativus < pp. of L optare: see option

noun

  1. the optative mood
  2. a verb in this mood

optative Related Forms
op′·ta·tively adverb
optative Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • mood: To illustrate, of the 67 times that the optative mood occurs in the NT, 17 of these are in Acts.