attributive

comparative more attributive · superlative most attributive

1. grammarModifying another word, typically a noun, while in the same phrase.

   In "this tiger is a man-eater," man is an attributive noun.

   4 more examples

   In "this big house", big is attributive, whereas in "this house is big", it is predicative.

   Since both Attributes and Adjuncts recursively expand N-bar into N-bar, it seems clear that the two have essentially the same function, so that Attributes are simply pronominal Adjuncts (though we shall continue to follow tradition and refer to attributive premodifiers as Attributes rather than Adjuncts).

   1988, Andrew Radford, Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 197

   ATTRIBUTIVE NOUN. A noun that modifies another noun: steel in steel bridge; London in London house.

   2005, Thomas Burns McArthur, Tom McArthur, Roshan McArthur, Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language

   Grammatically, three ways of using adjectives can be distinguished: the attributive use, the predicative use and the adverbial use. We will only deal with the attributive and the predicative use here. In the attributive use, the adjective, within an NP, is attached to the head noun, e.g. a dubious company, a red balloon, the stupid driver.

   2013, Sebastian Loebner, Understanding Semantics

   Antonyms: predicative

2. Attributing; characterized by attributing; effecting attribution.

   Notably, along with being attributive of color, some of those adjectives are used to characterize sound or intensity of sensation (e.g. pain may behele 'shrill' or tume 'dull'), cognitive abilities (such as hearing, vision and acumen),[…]

   2007 November 21, Robert E. MacLaury, Galina V. Paramei, Don Dedrick, Anthropology of Color: Interdisciplinary multilevel modeling, John Benjamins Publishing, →ISBN, page 201

   2 more examples

   To hate, &c.] Or thus, To be affected with hatred and horrour at. For abhor, though arranged in our dictionaries among verbs active, attributes an affection rather than an act of the mind. As the mind however is an active principle, all verbs attributive of what passes in the mind, even those we call neuter, attribute at the same time some mental act or operation. To grieve is reckoned a verb neuter; yet in grieving at some misfortune, the mind is not less active than it is in abhorring or loathing an object; which latter verbs are called verbs active.

   1806, Benjamin Dawson, Philologia Anglicana: or, a Philological and synonymical dictionary of the English language ["A-Adornment"], page 36

   * 947 आल and आट put after वाक् Speech, with it form adjectives attributive of much bad or improper speaking; as वाचाल, or वाचाट Who utters much bad language. * 948 […] affixed to nouns, with them form adjectives attributive of detraction,[…]

   1808, Charles Wilkins, A Grammar of the Sanskrita Language, page 516

plural attributives

1. grammarAn attributive word or phrase (see above), contrasted with predicative or substantive.

   In "this big house," big is an attributive, while in "this house is big," it is a predicative.