transitive: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, academic, technical
Quick answer
What does “transitive” mean?
Describing a verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Describing a verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
In mathematics and logic, describing a relation where if A relates to B and B relates to C, then A relates to C.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage; spelling identical.
Connotations
Slightly more common in UK academic writing about grammar; US usage more frequent in mathematical contexts.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both varieties; slightly higher in UK corpus due to traditional grammar teaching emphasis.
Grammar
How to Use “transitive” in a Sentence
Subject + transitive verb + direct objectX is transitive with respect to YVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “transitive” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- This verb does not transitively take an object in that construction.
American English
- The system transitively closes the dependency graph.
adverb
British English
- The action operates transitively through the chain of command.
American English
- The property holds transitively across all linked nodes.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; occasionally in technical documentation about database transitive dependencies.
Academic
Common in linguistics, mathematics, logic, and computer science papers.
Everyday
Very rare; mostly in language learning contexts.
Technical
Frequent in programming (transitive closure), database design, formal logic.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “transitive”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “transitive”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “transitive”
- Using 'transitive' to describe any verb with an object (some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive).
- Confusing 'transitive' with 'transitory'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, many verbs can be used both ways. For example, 'read' is transitive in 'She reads books' and intransitive in 'She reads every day'.
Transitive verbs take one object (e.g., 'She bought a car'). Ditransitive verbs take two objects (e.g., 'She gave him a gift').
Primarily yes, but in mathematics and logic, it describes relations (e.g., 'greater than' is transitive).
Ask 'what?' or 'whom?' after the verb. If you get a meaningful answer that completes the action, the verb is likely transitive (e.g., 'She loves [what?] music').
Describing a verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
Transitive is usually formal, academic, technical in register.
Transitive: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtrænzɪtɪv/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtrænzɪtɪv/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this term”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
TRANSitive verbs TRANSfer action to an object.
Conceptual Metaphor
ACTION IS TRANSFER (the verb transfers action to an object)
Practice
Quiz
Which of these sentences contains a transitive verb?