adjective — 1. general. The term adjective was itself an adjective for a hundred years before it became used as a noun for one of the parts of speech. Joseph Priestley, in The Rudiments of English Grammar (1761), was perhaps the first English grammarian to… … Modern English usage
Adjective — Ad jec*tive, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Adjectived}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Adjectiving}.] To make an adjective of; to form or change into an adjective. [R.] [1913 Webster] Language has as much occasion to adjective the distinct signification of the verb,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
adjective — late 14c., as an adjective, adjectival, in noun adjective, from O.Fr. adjectif (14c.), from L. adjectivum that is added to (the noun), neut. of adjectivus added, from pp. of adicere to throw or place (a thing) near, from ad to (see AD (Cf. ad ))… … Etymology dictionary
adjective — [aj′ik tiv] n. [ME & OFr adjectif < L adjectivus, that is added < adjectus, pp. of adjicere, to add to < ad , to + jacere, to throw: see JET1] any of a class of words used to modify a noun or other substantive, as by describing qualities … English World dictionary
Adjective — Ad jec*tive, n. [L. adjectivum (sc. nomen), neut. of adjectivus that is added, fr. adjicere: cf. F. adjectif. See {Adject}.] 1. (Gram.) A word used with a noun, or substantive, to express a quality of the thing named, or something attributed to… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
adjective — ► NOUN Grammar ▪ a word used to describe or modify a noun, such as sweet, red, or technical. DERIVATIVES adjectival adjective. ORIGIN Old French adjectif, from Latin adicere add … English terms dictionary
adjective — index procedural Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
adjective — [n] word that modifies a noun accessory, additional, adjunct, adnoun, attribute, attributive, dependent, descriptive, identifier, modifier, qualifier; concept 275 … New thesaurus
Adjective — Examples That s an interesting idea. (attributive) That idea is interesting. (predicative) Tell me something interesting. (postpositive) The good, the bad, and the ugly. (substantive) In grammar, an adjective is a describing word; the main… … Wikipedia
adjective — /ˈædʒəktɪv / (say ajuhktiv) noun 1. Grammar a. one of the major word classes in many languages, comprising words that typically modify a noun. b. such a word, as wise in a wise ruler, or in she is wise. –adjective 2. Grammar relating to an… …
