exercitive

comparative more exercitive · superlative most exercitive

1. human sciencesHaving the character of an exercitive act.

plural exercitives

1. hermeneuticshuman sciencesA speech act in which a decision is made regarding action; examples include orders and grants of permission.

   An exercitive is the giving of a decision in favour of or against a certain course of action, or advocacy of it.

   1962, J.L. Austin, How To Do Things With Words (paperback), Oxford, published 1965, page 154

   2 more examples

   Exercitives are not so common. Philosopher-authors are rarely in the position to tell people what to do or think.

   1999, Jeffrey A. Mason, The Philosopher's Address: Writing and the Perception of Philosophy, →ISBN, page 51

   The hearer's recognition of the speaker's locutionary intention is also an important felicity condition of Austinian exercitives.

   2003, Mary Kathryn McGowan, “Conversational Exercitives and the Force of Pornography”, in Philosophy & Public Affairs, volume 31, number 2, pages 155–189