transitive verb: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical, Academic, Pedagogical
Quick answer
What does “transitive verb” mean?
A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
In grammar, a verb that takes one or more objects, expressing an action that is done to someone or something, as opposed to an intransitive verb which does not take an object. The term is also used more broadly to describe the class of verbs that exhibit this syntactic behavior, and can be extended in pedagogical contexts to include verbs that can be both transitive and intransitive (ambitransitive).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or syntactic differences. The grammatical concept is identical. Minor differences may exist in which verbs are more commonly used transitively in one variety (e.g., 'appeal a decision' is more common in US legal contexts).
Connotations
Neutral, purely grammatical term. No cultural or affective connotations.
Frequency
Equally frequent in academic, linguistic, and teaching contexts in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “transitive verb” in a Sentence
SV(O)SV(O)(O)SVOCSVOAVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “transitive verb” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The teacher highlighted the transitive verbs in the text.
American English
- The linguist wanted to transitivize the old intransitive construction.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in communication training to clarify instructions (e.g., 'Please complete the report' – 'complete' is transitive).
Academic
Fundamental term in linguistics, grammar, and language teaching literature.
Everyday
Rarely used in casual conversation except in language learning contexts.
Technical
Core term in syntactic theory, descriptive grammar, and computational linguistics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “transitive verb”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “transitive verb”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “transitive verb”
- Confusing transitive verbs with passive voice constructions.
- Assuming all action verbs are transitive.
- Forgetting that some verbs (e.g., 'eat', 'read') can be used both transitively and intransitively.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, by definition, a transitive verb requires a direct object. If the object is implied or understood from context, the verb is still being used transitively (e.g., 'Did you eat?' implies 'food').
A transitive verb takes one direct object (SV.O). A ditransitive verb takes two objects: an indirect object and a direct object (SV.Oi.Od), like 'give' in 'She gave me a book'.
No. 'To be' is a copular (linking) verb. It connects the subject to a subject complement, not to a direct object. It does not express an action transferred to an object.
Ask the question 'what?' or 'whom?' after the verb. If you can find a direct answer that is not a prepositional phrase, the verb is likely transitive. For example, in 'She built a house', built what? A house (direct object).
A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
Transitive verb is usually technical, academic, pedagogical in register.
Transitive verb: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtræn.zɪ.tɪv vɜːb/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtræn.sə.t̬ɪv vɝːb/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think TRANSITIVE = TRANSFERs action. The verb's action is transferred to an OBJECT.
Conceptual Metaphor
GRAMMAR IS A FRAMEWORK; VERBS ARE MACHINES (that may or may not require input/objects to operate).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences contains a transitive verb?