Standard Lemma guide

partitive

adj · noun · 7 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

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɑː.tə.tɪv/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That divides something into parts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • partitive tendencies in education

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: separative

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Indicating a part rather than the whole of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • The word some is used in partitive constructions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A partitive word, phrase or 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

4

adjective

Meaning 4

indicating or characterized by or serving to create partition or division into parts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • partitive tendencies in education

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

(Romance languages) relating to or denoting a part of a whole or a quantity that is less than the whole

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a partitive construction

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

serving to separate or divide into parts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • partitive tendencies in education
  • the uniting influence was stronger than the separative

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: separative

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

word (such a `some' or `less') that is used to indicate a part as distinct from a whole

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: word

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English partitif, borrowed from Medieval Latin partītīvus, from Latin partītus + -īvus.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: разделителен (razdelitelen) — that divides something into parts
  • Finnish: jakava — that divides something into parts
  • Finnish: erottava — that divides something into parts
  • Hungarian: felosztó — that divides something into parts
  • Hungarian: feldaraboló — that divides something into parts
  • Hungarian: partitív — that divides something into parts
  • Polish: rozdzielający — that divides something into parts
  • Arabic: تَبْعِيضِيّ (tabʕīḍiyy) — grammar: indicating a part
  • Bulgarian: частичен (častičen) — grammar: indicating a part
  • Dutch: delend — grammar: indicating a part
  • Estonian: osastav — grammar: indicating a part
  • Finnish: partitiivi- — grammar: indicating a part
  • Finnish: partitiivinen — grammar: indicating a part
  • French: partitif — grammar: indicating a part
  • German: partitiv — grammar: indicating a part
  • Hungarian: partitivusi — grammar: indicating a part
  • Hungarian: részelő — grammar: indicating a part
  • Hungarian: részelő esetű — grammar: indicating a part
  • Northern Kurdish: parçeyî — grammar: indicating a part
  • Northern Kurdish: parçedar — grammar: indicating a part
  • Polish: partytywny — grammar: indicating a part
  • Polish: cząstkowy — grammar: indicating a part
  • Portuguese: partitivo — grammar: indicating a part
  • Russian: части́чный (častíčnyj) — grammar: indicating a part
  • Russian: раздели́тельный (razdelítelʹnyj) — grammar: indicating a part
  • Spanish: partitivo — grammar: indicating a part
  • Afrikaans: partitief — partitive case
  • Arabic: تَبْعِيض (tabʕīḍ) — partitive case
  • Basque: partitibo — partitive case
  • Bulgarian: разделителен съюз (razdelitelen sǎjuz) — partitive case
  • Chinese Mandarin: 表分詞 /表分词 — partitive case
  • Dutch: partitief — partitive case
  • Estonian: osastav — partitive case
  • Estonian: partatiiv — partitive case
  • Finnish: partitiivi — partitive case
  • Finnish: osanto — partitive case
  • French: partitif — partitive case
  • Georgian: დანაწილებითი ბრუნვა (danac̣ilebiti brunva) — partitive case
  • Georgian: ნაწილობრივი ბრუნვა (nac̣ilobrivi brunva) — partitive case
  • Georgian: პარტიტივი (ṗarṭiṭivi) — partitive case
  • German: Partitiv — partitive case
  • Greek: μεριστικός (meristikós) — partitive case
  • Hungarian: partitivus — partitive case
  • Hungarian: részelő eset — partitive case
  • Icelandic: deildarfall — partitive case
  • Korean: 부분격 (bubun'gyeok) — partitive case
  • Latvian: partitīvs — partitive case
  • Lithuanian: partityvinis — partitive case
  • Polish: partytyw — partitive case
  • Polish: partitivus — partitive case
  • Polish: cząstkownik — partitive case
  • Portuguese: partitivo — partitive case
  • Russian: раздели́тельный паде́ж (razdelítelʹnyj padéž) — partitive case
  • Russian: партити́в (partitív) — partitive case
  • Spanish: caso partitivo — partitive case
  • Swedish: partitiv — partitive case