Standard Lemma guide

illative

adj · noun · 8 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.

  • UK: /ɪˈleɪtɪv/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪtɪv

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, or relating to an illation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • an illative consequence or proposition
  • an illative conjunction, such as "for" or "therefore"

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of, or relating to the grammatical case that in some languages indicates motion towards or into something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A word or phrase that expresses an inference (such as for or therefore).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An illation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The illative case, or a word in that case.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

relating to or having the nature of illation or inference

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the illative faculty of the mind

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inferential

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

expressing or preceding an inference

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • `therefore' is an illative word

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

resembling or dependent on or arrived at by inference

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an illative conclusion
  • inferential reasoning

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inferential

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Late Latin illātīvus (“illative”), from Latin illātus, perfect passive participle of inferō (“carry or bring into somewhere; bury; conclude”), from in + ferō (“bear, carry; suffer”).

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Hungarian: következtető vagy magyarázó — grammar: a word or phrase that expresses an inference
  • Catalan: il·latiu — grammar: illative case
  • Chinese Mandarin: 入格 (rùgé) — grammar: illative case
  • Estonian: sisseütlev — grammar: illative case
  • Estonian: illatiiv — grammar: illative case
  • Finnish: illatiivi — grammar: illative case
  • Finnish: sisätulento — grammar: illative case
  • French: illatif — grammar: illative case
  • Hungarian: illativus — grammar: illative case
  • Japanese: 入格 (nyūkaku) — grammar: illative case
  • Russian: иллати́вный паде́ж (illatívnyj padéž) — grammar: illative case
  • Russian: иллати́в (illatív) — grammar: illative case
  • Northern Sami: illatiiva — grammar: illative case