anticausative

A1N1T1I1C3A1U1S1A1T1I1V4E1

adjective

Which shows an action affecting its subject, without indicating the cause.

OriginEnglish causative ← Ancient Greek ἀντι- (anti-) ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectiveanticausative (not comparable)
  1. not comparablegrammarWhich shows an action affecting its subject, without indicating the cause.
nounanticausative (plural anticausatives)

plural anticausatives

  1. grammarA verb or construction of this kind.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énti
  4. Ancient Greekᾰ̓ντῐ́ (ăntĭ́)
  5. Ancient Greekἀντι- (anti-)
  6. Englishanti-
  7. Englishcausative
  8. Englishanticausative

From anti- + causative.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish antykauzatywny, anticausativum
  • antykauzatywnywhich shows an action affecting its subject, without indicating the cause
  • anticausativumverb
Portuguese anticausativo
  • anticausativowhich shows an action affecting its subject, without indicating the cause
Cite this entry
APA

anticausative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anticausative

MLA

“anticausative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anticausative. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anticausative,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anticausative.

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