genitive

adjective

gen·​i·​tive ˈje-nə-tiv How to pronounce genitive (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being a grammatical case (see case entry 1 sense 3a) that typically marks a person or thing that possesses someone or something else or the source from which someone or something comes compare possessive
2
: expressing a relationship that in some inflected languages is often marked by a genitive case
used especially of English prepositional phrases introduced by of
genitive noun

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin genetivus, genitivus, literally, of generation (erroneous translation of Greek genikos genitive), from genitus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of genitive was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near genitive

Cite this Entry

“Genitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genitive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

genitive

adjective
gen·​i·​tive ˈjen-ət-iv How to pronounce genitive (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a grammatical case marking typically possession or source compare possessive
genitival
ˌjen-ə-ˈtī-vəl
adjective
genitive noun

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