agentive

A1G2E1N1T1I1V4E1
/əˈd͡ʒɛntɪv//ˈeɪd͡ʒəntɪv/

adjective

Indicating an agent or agency (as -er in lexicographer).

RareScrabble 12

Meanings

adjectiveagentive (not comparable)
  1. not comparablegrammarIndicating an agent or agency (as -er in lexicographer).
  2. not comparablegrammarPertaining to a grammatical agent that performs the action of the verb.
    1 more example

    On the other hand, she concedes that she has been able (in however limited a fashion) to take agentive actions to facilitate others’ socialization into and through Mandarin through programmatic activities she has contributed to. Thus, agency does not necessarily result in one’s own (sinophone or other) learning goals but may mediate others’ socialization, even when the facilitating or socializing agent is not herself an expert in the Chinese language.

    2015, Patricia A. Duff, Liam Doherty, “Examining Agency in (Second) Language Socialization Research”, in Ping Deters, Xuesong (Andy) Gao, Elizabeth R. Miller, Gergana Vitanova, editors, Theorizing and Analyzing Agency in Second Language Learning: Interdisciplinary Approaches (Second Language Acquisition; 84), Bristol: Multilingual Matters, →ISBN, part 1 (Theoretical Approaches to Agency), page 68
nounagentive (plural agentives)

plural agentives

  1. human sciencesA word having an agentive construction.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
  3. Proto-Italic*agō
  4. Latinagō
  5. Latinagēns
  6. Englishagent
  7. Englishagentive

From agent + -ive.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish agentiivinen, agentiivi
  • agentiivinenindicating an agent
  • agentiiviword
French agentif, agentif
  • agentifindicating an agent
  • agentifword
Portuguese agentivo
  • agentivoindicating an agent
Spanish agentivo
  • agentivoindicating an agent

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“agentive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agentive. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “agentive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agentive.

Source: agentive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.