infinitive

[ in-fin-i-tiv ]
/ ɪnˈfɪn ɪ tɪv /
Grammar

noun

a verb form found in many languages that functions as a noun or is used with auxiliary verbs, and that names the action or state without specifying the subject, as French venir “to come,” Latin esse “to be,” fuisse “to have been.”
(in English) the simple or basic form of the verb, as come, take, eat, be, used after auxiliary verbs, as in I didn't come, He must be, or this simple form preceded by a function word, as to in I want to eat.

adjective

consisting of or containing an infinitive: an infinitive construction. Abbreviation: infin.

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Origin of infinitive

1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin infīnītīvus indefinite, equivalent to in- in-3 + fīnītīvus definite; see finite, -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM infinitive

in·fin·i·tive·ly, adverb

Example sentences from the Web for infinitive

British Dictionary definitions for infinitive

infinitive
/ (ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv) /

noun grammar

a form of the verb not inflected for grammatical categories such as tense and person and used without an overt subject. In English, the infinitive usually consists of the word to followed by the verb

Derived forms of infinitive

infinitival (ˌɪnfɪnɪˈtaɪvəl), adjective infinitively or infinitivally, adverb

Cultural definitions for infinitive

infinitive

The simple or dictionary form of a verb: walk, think, fly, exist. Often the word to marks a verb as an infinitive: “to walk,” “to think,” “to fly,” “to exist.”