Skip to content
Vinony

infinitive

adjective

  1. non-finite
L1334372 on Wikidata ↗

noun

  1. grammatical form
L322517 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/ / /ɪnˈfɪnətɪv/

adj

Etymology: From Middle English infenitife (“without end, in perpetuity”), from Late Latin īnfīnītīvus (“unlimited, indefinite”), from Latin īnfīnītus (“unlimited, infinite”). By surface analysis, infinite + -ive.

  1. Formed with the infinitive.

    “INFINITIVE MOOD or MANNER. To Have, Avoir.”

    “In English there are four moods:–1. The Infinitive Mood. 2. The Indicative Mood. 3. the Imperative Mood. 4. The Subjunctive Mood.”

  2. Unlimited; not bounded or restricted; undefined.

    “[…] to search out in some higher region of infinitive space a spot where it was impossible for defilement to follow them […]”

noun

Etymology: From Middle English infenitife (“without end, in perpetuity”), from Late Latin īnfīnītīvus (“unlimited, indefinite”), from Latin īnfīnītus (“unlimited, infinite”). By surface analysis, infinite + -ive.

  1. The infinitive mood or mode (a grammatical mood).

    “The MANNERS of acting, in grammar called modes or moods, are four; Infinitive, Imperative, Indicative, Subjunctive or Conjunctive.”

    “There are four moods, the Infinitive, Imperative, Indicative, and Subjunctive. [...] the Infinitive is used to express a thing in a general manner.”

  2. A non-finite verb form considered neutral with respect to inflection; depending on language variously found used with auxiliary verbs, in subordinate clauses, or acting as a gerund, and often as the dictionary form.
  3. A verbal noun formed from the infinitive of a verb.