Standard Lemma guide

attributive

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /əˈtɹɪb.ju.tɪv/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /əˈtɹɪb.jə.tɪv/
  • Canada, General-American: /əˈtɹɪb.jə.ɾɪv/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Modifying another word, typically a noun, while in the same phrase.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • In "this big house", big is attributive, whereas in "this house is big", it is predicative.
  • In "this tiger is a man-eater," man is an attributive noun.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: predicative

2

adj

Meaning 2

Attributing; characterized by attributing; effecting attribution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An attributive word or phrase (see above), contrasted with predicative or substantive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • In "this big house," big is an attributive, while in "this house is big," it is a predicative.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

of adjectives; placed before the nouns they modify

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • `red' is an attributive adjective in `a red apple'

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prenominal

Antonyms: predicative

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin attributusbor. English attribute Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Old French -ifbor. Middle English -yf English -ive English attributive From attribute + -ive.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: təyini — of, or being an attributive
  • Catalan: atributiu — of, or being an attributive
  • Chinese Mandarin: 定語的 /定语的 (dìngyǔ de) — of, or being an attributive
  • Danish: attributiv — of, or being an attributive
  • Dutch: attributief — of, or being an attributive
  • Finnish: attributiivinen — of, or being an attributive
  • French: épithète — of, or being an attributive
  • Galician: atributivo — of, or being an attributive
  • German: attributiv — of, or being an attributive
  • Hungarian: jelzői — of, or being an attributive
  • Irish: aitreabúideach — of, or being an attributive
  • Japanese: 限定的な (genteiteki na) — of, or being an attributive
  • Kazakh: анықтауыштық (anyqtauyştyq) — of, or being an attributive
  • Polish: atrybutywny — of, or being an attributive
  • Polish: określający — of, or being an attributive
  • Romanian: atributiv — of, or being an attributive
  • Russian: определи́тельный (opredelítelʹnyj) — of, or being an attributive
  • Scottish Gaelic: buaidh-aithriseach — of, or being an attributive
  • Spanish: atributivo — of, or being an attributive
  • Swedish: attributiv — of, or being an attributive
  • Welsh: disgrifiadol — of, or being an attributive
  • Catalan: atributiu — having the nature of an attribute
  • Chinese Mandarin: 歸屬的 /归属的 (guīshǔ de) — having the nature of an attribute
  • Dutch: attributief — having the nature of an attribute
  • Finnish: attributiivinen — having the nature of an attribute
  • French: attributif — having the nature of an attribute
  • Galician: atributivo — having the nature of an attribute
  • German: attributiv — having the nature of an attribute
  • Irish: cáilíochta — having the nature of an attribute
  • Kazakh: анықтауыштық (anyqtauyştyq) — having the nature of an attribute
  • Kazakh: атрибуттық (atributtyq) — having the nature of an attribute
  • Polish: atrybutywny — having the nature of an attribute
  • Russian: атрибути́вный (atributívnyj) — having the nature of an attribute
  • Chinese Mandarin: 定語 /定语 (dìngyǔ) — a word or phrase that modifies a noun and is part of the noun's noun phrase
  • Finnish: attributiivi — a word or phrase that modifies a noun and is part of the noun's noun phrase
  • French: épithète — a word or phrase that modifies a noun and is part of the noun's noun phrase
  • Hungarian: jelző — a word or phrase that modifies a noun and is part of the noun's noun phrase
  • Japanese: 連体形 (rentaikei) — a word or phrase that modifies a noun and is part of the noun's noun phrase
  • Polish: przydawka — a word or phrase that modifies a noun and is part of the noun's noun phrase
  • Russian: определе́ние (opredelénije) — a word or phrase that modifies a noun and is part of the noun's noun phrase
  • Russian: атрибути́в (atributív) — a word or phrase that modifies a noun and is part of the noun's noun phrase
  • Northern Sami: attribuhtta — a word or phrase that modifies a noun and is part of the noun's noun phrase
Real reading context

attributive in complete knowledge articles