ablative case

a·bla·tive·case
/əˈbleɪ.tɪv keɪs//ˈæ.blə.tɪv -/

noun

A noun case used in some languages to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation. In English grammar, it corresponds roughly to the use in English of prepositions "of", "from", "away from", and "concerning". In Latin grammar, the ablative case (cāsus ablātīvus) includes functions derived from the Indo-European ablative, instrumental, comitative, associative and locative cases; these cases express concepts similar to those of the English prepositions "of"/"from", "by", "with", "to"/"with", and "at"/"in", respectively. Here/hence/hither, there/thence/thither, and where/whence/whither are the only English words with separate forms for the ablative (motion away from) and lative (motion towards) cases.

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ablative
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Meanings

nounablative case (plural ablative cases)

plural ablative cases · alternative Abl.

  1. grammarA noun case used in some languages to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation. In English grammar, it corresponds roughly to the use in English of prepositions "of", "from", "away from", and "concerning". In Latin grammar, the ablative case (cāsus ablātīvus) includes functions derived from the Indo-European ablative, instrumental, comitative, associative and locative cases; these cases express concepts similar to those of the English prepositions "of"/"from", "by", "with", "to"/"with", and "at"/"in", respectively. Here/hence/hither, there/thence/thither, and where/whence/whither are the only English words with separate forms for the ablative (motion away from) and lative (motion towards) cases.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe case indicating the agent in passive sentences or the instrument or manner or place of the action described by the verb

Similar
ablative
Broader
obliqueoblique case
Also see
ablative

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀφαιρετική
  • ἀφαιρετική (aphairetikḗ)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Bengali অপাদান
  • অপাদান (opadan)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Bulgarian творителен падеж, отделителен падеж
  • творителен падеж (tvoritelen padež)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • отделителен падеж (otdelitelen padež)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • аблатив (ablativ)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Catalan ablatiu
  • ablatiugrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Chinese Mandarin 奪格 /夺格, 離格 /离格
  • 奪格 /夺格 (duógé)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • 離格 /离格 (lígé)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Czech ablativ
  • ablativgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Danish ablativ
  • ablativgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Dutch ablatief
  • ablatiefgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Esperanto ablativo
  • ablativogrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Estonian alaltütlev, ablatiiv
  • alaltütlevgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • ablatiivgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Finnish ablatiivi, ulkoeronto
  • ablatiivigrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • ulkoerontogrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
French ablatif
  • ablatifgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
German Ablativ, sechster Fall
  • Ablativgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • sechster Fallgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Greek αφαιρετική πτώση, αφαιρετική
  • αφαιρετική πτώση (afairetikí ptósi)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • αφαιρετική (afairetikí)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Hebrew אבלטיבי
  • אבלטיבי (ablativi)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Hindi पंचमी विभक्ति
  • पंचमी विभक्ति (pañcmī vibhakti)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Hungarian határozói eset, ablativus
  • határozói esetgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • ablativusgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Icelandic sviftifall
  • sviftifallgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Italian ablativo
  • ablativogrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Japanese 奪格
  • 奪格 (dakkaku)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Korean 탈격
  • 탈격 (talgyeok)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Latin ablativus, casus ablativus
  • ablativusgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • casus ablativusgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • casus sextusgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • casus latinusgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • casus comparativusgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Latvian ablatīvs
  • ablatīvsgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Malay kasus ablatif
  • kasus ablatifgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Norwegian Bokmål ablativ
  • ablativgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Polish ablatyw, ablativus
  • ablatywgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • ablativusgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • pochodnikgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Portuguese ablativo
  • ablativogrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Romanian ablativ
  • ablativgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Russian отложи́тельный паде́ж, абляти́вный паде́ж
  • отложи́тельный паде́ж (otložítelʹnyj padéž)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • абляти́вный паде́ж (abljatívnyj padéž)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • абляти́в (abljatív)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • аблати́в (ablatív)grammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Scottish Gaelic dìobhalach
  • dìobhalachgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Slovak ablatív
  • ablatívgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Spanish ablativo
  • ablativogrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Swedish ablativ
  • ablativgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Thai อปาทานการก
  • อปาทานการกgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Turkish -den hâli, ayrılma hâli/durumu
  • -den hâligrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • ayrılma hâli/durumugrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • çıkma hâli/durumugrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
  • -den hâli/durumugrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Vietnamese ly cách
  • ly cáchgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Welsh abladol
  • abladolgrammatical case used to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation, source
Cite this entry
APA

ablative case. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ablative%20case

MLA

“ablative case.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ablative%20case. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ablative case,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ablative%20case.

Source: ablative case on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.