adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to preformation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
preformative
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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/priˈfoɹmətɪv/
adj
Meaning 2
Of a thing: forming or affecting something that comes later.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
of a letter, syllable, etc.: attached to the beginning of a word as a formative element.
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
noun
Meaning 4
a formative letter, syllable, etc., at the beginning of a word.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: preformant
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Misspelling of performative.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, misspelling
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From pre- (prefix meaning ‘before; physically in front of’) + formative, modelled after Late Latin praeformativus (originally used in relation to the grammar of Semitic languages).
In many cases merely a typo; less commonly, sometimes due to a misapprehension of morphology.
Across languages
Translations
5 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- German: präformativ — of a letter, syllable, etc.: attached to the beginning of a word as a formative element
- German: Präformativ — formative letter, syllable, etc., at the beginning of a word
- German: Präformativum — formative letter, syllable, etc., at the beginning of a word
- Latin: praeformativus — formative letter, syllable, etc., at the beginning of a word
- Spanish: preformativo — formative letter, syllable, etc., at the beginning of a word