infinitive
[ in-fin-i-tiv ]
/ ɪnˈfɪn ɪ tɪv /
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
OTHER WORDS FROM infinitive
in·fin·i·tive·ly, adverbWords nearby infinitive
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, adverbCultural 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.”