partitive

[ pahr-ti-tiv ]
/ ˈpɑr tɪ tɪv /

adjective

serving to divide into parts.
Grammar. noting part of a whole: the Latin partitive genitive.

noun

Grammar. a partitive word or formation, as of the men in half of the men.

Origin of partitive

1510–20; < Medieval Latin partītīvus divisive, equivalent to Latin partīt(us), past participle of partīrī to divide (see party) + -īvus -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM partitive

par·ti·tive·ly, adverb un·par·ti·tive, adjective

Words nearby partitive

partite, partition, partition chromatography, partition coefficient, partition line, partitive, partizan, partlet, partly, partner, partners

Example sentences from the Web for partitive

British Dictionary definitions for partitive

partitive
/ (ˈpɑːtɪtɪv) /

adjective

grammar indicating that a noun involved in a construction refers only to a part or fraction of what it otherwise refers to. The phrase some of the butter is a partitive construction; in some inflected languages it would be translated by the genitive case of the noun
serving to separate or divide into parts

noun

grammar a partitive linguistic element or feature

Derived forms of partitive

partitively, adverb

Word Origin for partitive

C16: from Medieval Latin partītīvus serving to divide, from Latin partīre to divide