Intransitive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈtɹænsətɪv/

Definitions

1. Describing verbs that do not need a direct object to express a complete thought
2. Characterizing a type of verb where the action does not transfer to an object or participant
3. Pertaining to verbs that function without requiring a direct object to complete their meaning

Etymology: The word "intransitive" is built from two parts: the prefix "in-", meaning "not", and "transitive," which comes from Latin "transitivus," formed from "trans" ("across") and "ire" ("to go"). Together the idea is a verb whose action does not pass across to an object. A verb like "sleep" or "arrive" stays within its subject, while "kick" sends its action over to something kicked. The Latin base "transitivus" was itself a grammatical term, built on the sense of crossing over from one thing to another. English took "transitive" from Latin "transitivus," and "intransitive" follows the same pattern, simply adding the negating prefix "in-" that English has long used on Latin-derived words such as "active" and "possible." Because "intransitive" is a plain grammatical coinage from known parts, its history offers little beyond that structure. The term describes a verb's relationship to an object, and it has stayed fixed in that sense.

Synonyms: non-transferable, untransitive

Antonyms: transitive