transitive

The definition of transitive is a grammar term used to refer to verbs that carry from the subject to the object and require a direct object.

(adjective)

In the sentence "Penny kicked John," kicked is an example of a transitive verb. John is the direct object.

See transitive in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

Rare of, showing, or characterized by transition; transitional
Gram. expressing an action thought of as passing over to and having an effect on some person or thing; taking a direct object: said of certain verbs
Math. designating a relation having the property that, whenever a first element bears a particular relation to a second that in turn bears this same relation to a third, the first element bears this relation to the third: identity and equality are transitive relations

Origin: LL transitivus < L transitus: see transit

noun

a transitive verb

Related Forms:

See transitive in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

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.
Characterized by or involving transition.
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.

noun
Grammar

A transitive verb.

Origin:

Origin: Late Latin trānsitīvus, passing over (translation of Greek diabibastikos)

Origin: , from trānsitus

Origin: , past participle of trānsīre, to go over; see transient

Related Forms: