Standard Lemma guide

reflexive

adj · noun · 11 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.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: rĭflĕk'sĭv
  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: rəflĕk'sĭv
  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈflɛksɪv/
  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ɹəˈflɛksɪv/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R AH0 F L EH1 K S IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Referring back to the subject, or having an object equal to the subject.

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

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of a relation R on a set S, such that xRx for all members x of S (that is, the relation holds between any element of the set and itself).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • "Equals" is a reflexive relation, as it holds for all possible x; "not less" is non-reflexive because it is true only for some x and y, "unequal" is irreflexive, as it never holds between x and itself.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of or resulting from a reflex.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The electric shock elicited an automatic and reflexive response from him.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Producing immediate response, spontaneous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, not-comparable

Examples

  • a reflexive dislike

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: contemplative, considered

5

adj

Meaning 5

Producing or provoking a reciprocal response.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Synonym of reflective.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reflective

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A reflexive pronoun.

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

8

noun

Meaning 8

A reflexive verb.

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

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

referring back to itself

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: self-referent

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

without volition or conscious control

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the automatic shrinking of the pupils of the eye in strong light
  • a reflex knee jerk
  • sneezing is reflexive

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: automatic, reflex(a)

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

a personal pronoun compounded with -self to show the agent's action affects the agent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reflexive pronoun

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: personal pronoun

History

Etymology

From Medieval Latin reflexīvus, from Latin reflexus, equivalent to reflex + -ive.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: зваро́тны (zvarótny) — in grammar
  • Bulgarian: възвра́тен (vǎzvráten) — in grammar
  • Catalan: reflexiu — in grammar
  • Czech: zvratný — in grammar
  • Danish: refleksiv — in grammar
  • Danish: tilbagevisende stedord — in grammar
  • Dutch: wederkerend — in grammar
  • Faroese: afturbendur — in grammar
  • Finnish: refleksiivinen — in grammar
  • French: réfléchi — in grammar
  • Georgian: უკუქცევითი (uḳukceviti) — in grammar
  • German: rückbezüglich — in grammar
  • German: reflexiv — in grammar
  • Greek: αυτοπαθής (aftopathís) — in grammar
  • Hungarian: visszaható — in grammar
  • Icelandic: afturbeygður — in grammar
  • Irish: aisfhillteach — in grammar
  • Irish: frithluaileach — in grammar
  • Japanese: 再帰的 (saiki-teki) — in grammar
  • Kazakh: өздік (özdık) — in grammar
  • Lithuanian: sangrąžinis — in grammar
  • Macedonian: рефлексивен (refleksiven) — in grammar
  • Mongolian: эгэх (egex) — in grammar
  • Norwegian: refleksiv — in grammar
  • Polish: zwrotny — in grammar
  • Portuguese: reflexivo — in grammar
  • Romanian: reflexiv — in grammar
  • Romansh: reflexiv — in grammar
  • Russian: возвра́тный (vozvrátnyj) — in grammar
  • Russian: рефлекси́вный (refleksívnyj) — in grammar
  • Scottish Gaelic: ath-fhillteach — in grammar
  • Serbo-Croatian: повратан — in grammar
  • Serbo-Croatian: povratan — in grammar
  • Slovak: zvratný — in grammar
  • Slovene: povraten — in grammar
  • Spanish: reflexivo — in grammar
  • Swedish: reflexiv — in grammar
  • Turkish: dönüşlü — in grammar
  • Ukrainian: зворо́тний (zvorótnyj) — in grammar
  • Zazaki: çerxın — in grammar
  • Czech: reflexivní — in mathematics
  • Finnish: refleksiivinen — in mathematics
  • German: reflexiv — in mathematics
  • Icelandic: sjálfhverfur — in mathematics
  • Icelandic: spegilvirkur — in mathematics
  • Japanese: 反射的 (hanshateki) — in mathematics
  • Polish: zwrotny — in mathematics
  • Portuguese: reflexivo — in mathematics
  • Romanian: reflexiv — in mathematics
  • Russian: рефлекси́вный (refleksívnyj) — in mathematics
  • Slovene: refleksíven — in mathematics
  • Swedish: reflexiv — in mathematics
  • Tagalog: pabalik — in mathematics
  • Bulgarian: рефлективен (reflektiven) — resulting from a reflex
  • Czech: reflexivní — resulting from a reflex
  • Greek: αντανακλαστικός (antanaklastikós) — resulting from a reflex
Real reading context

reflexive in complete knowledge articles

Sesquilinear form Ideas & learning · Advanced · 6 uses