catenative

C3A1T1E1N1A1T1I1V4E1
UK/ˈkæ.tə.nə.tɪv/US/ˈkæ.təˌneɪ.tɪv/

adjective

Having the ability to catenate, or form chains.

Scrabble 15

Meanings

adjectivecatenative (not comparable)
  1. not comparableHaving the ability to catenate, or form chains.

    An example of catenative construction of the infinitive has already been observed in (10), where the present infinitive λέγειν is used as a complement or object of the verb θέλοι.

    2009, Toshikazu S. Foley, Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek: Verbal Aspect in Theory and Practice, page 213
    2 more examples

    In this section we shall investigate some of the basic properties of D0L systems that generate locally catenative sequences. These locally catenative D0L systems form one of the mathematically most natural subclasses of the class of D0L systems.

    1980, Grzegorz Rozenberg, Arto Salomaa, The Mathematical Theory of L Systems, page 20

    Nonfinite complements which refer to a time before that of the main or catenative predicator are exclusively expressed by {-ing} forms (e.g. I remember doing it; She admits going; They deny being there).

    2004, Stephan Gramley, Kurt-Michael Pätzold, A Survey of Modern English, 2nd edition, page 135
nouncatenative (plural catenatives)

plural catenatives

  1. grammarA catenative verb.

    Just as many catenatives are followed by the infinitive, so others take the gerund.

    2010, Peter Fenn, A Student's Advanced Grammar of English (SAGE), page 492
    3 more examples

    There is a certain arbitrariness in the way catenatives work. For example, we can use the verb like with either a gerund or an infinitive as its object:[…].

    1982, Martha Kolln, Understanding English Grammar, page 229

    Unlike periphrastics, however, catenatives combine certain verbs (e.g., impersonal δεῖ) with an infinitive.

    2010, Stanley E. Porter, Jeffrey T. Reed, Matthew Brook O'Donnell, Fundamentals of New Testament Greek, page 351

    Sentences containing catenatives (e.g., gonna, wanna, haveta, etc.) have one proposition, coded by the main verb following these.

    2014, Paula Menyuk, Jacqueline W. Liebergott, Martin C. Schultz, Early Language Development in Full-term and Premature Infants, page 225

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

  1. Latincatēnātus“chained”
  2. Englishcatenative

From Latin catēnātus (“chained”), from catēnāre, from catēna (“a chain”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 鏈接 /链接
  • 鏈接 /链接 (liànjiē)having the ability to catenate
Finnish ketjuuntuva
  • ketjuuntuvahaving the ability to catenate
French caténatif
  • caténatifhaving the ability to catenate
Polish łańcuchowy
  • łańcuchowyhaving the ability to catenate
Russian катенативный
  • катенативный (katenativnyj)having the ability to catenate
Spanish catenativo
  • catenativohaving the ability to catenate
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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