Optative Definition

ŏptə-tĭv
adjective
Expressing wish or desire.
Webster's New World
Designating or of the grammatical mood, as in Greek, which expresses wish or desire.
Webster's New World
Designating a statement using a verb in the subjunctive mood to indicate a wish or desire, as in Had I the means, I would do it.
American Heritage
noun
The optative mood.
Webster's New World
A verb in this mood.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
  • optative mood

Other Word Forms of Optative

Noun

Singular:
optative
Plural:
optatives

Origin of Optative

  • Middle English optatif from Old French from Late Latin optātīvus from Latin optātus past participle of optāre to wish

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English optatif, from Old French, from Late Latin optātīvus, from Latin optātus, past participle of optāre.

    From Wiktionary

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