vocative

V4O1C3A1T1I1V4E1
US/ˈvɑkətɪv/US/ˈvoʊkətɪv/UK/ˈvɒkətɪv//ˈvakətɪv/

adjective

Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling or vocation.

“In English, the vocative may be indicated by an addressee–address separation comma, or by the particle O, as in "What is the matter, sir?", "Mother, listen!", or "O Lord".”

Similar
vocative case
OriginMiddle English [Term?] ← Middle French vocatif ← Latin vocātīvus →
RareScrabble 16
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Meanings

adjectivevocative (comparative more vocative, superlative most vocative)

comparative more vocative · superlative most vocative

  1. Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling or vocation.
  2. grammarUsed in address; appellative; said of the case or form of the noun, pronoun, or adjective by which a person or thing is addressed.

    In English, the vocative may be indicated by an addressee–address separation comma, or by the particle O, as in "What is the matter, sir?", "Mother, listen!", or "O Lord".

nounvocative (plural vocatives)

plural vocatives

  1. grammarThe vocative case
  2. grammarA word in the vocative case
  3. grammarA vocative expression
  4. rareSomething said to (or as though to) a particular person or thing; an entreaty, an invocation.

    [T]he two latter will hardly come neither, if they think it will be to hear your whining vocatives.

    1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter L”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe case (in some inflected languages) used when the referent of the noun is being addressed

Similar
vocative case
Broader
obliqueoblique case
Also see
vocative case

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wokʷ-
  2. Latinvocātīvus“for calling”
  3. Middle Frenchvocatif
  4. Middle English[Term?]
  5. Englishvocative

From Late Middle English [Term?], borrowed from Middle French vocatif, from Latin vocātīvus (“for calling”); a calque of Ancient Greek κλητῐκή (klētĭkḗ, “for calling; vocative case”) – from vocāre (“to call”), from Proto-Indo-European *wokʷ-, o-grade of *wekʷ- (“give vocal utterance, speak”). See Latin vōx.

More words from Middle English, Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κλητικός
  • κλητικός (klētikós)grammar: used in address
Arabic نِدَاء
  • نِدَاء (nidāʔ)grammar: used in address
Bulgarian зва́телен
  • зва́телен (zvátelen)grammar: used in address
Catalan vocatiu
  • vocatiugrammar: used in address
Chinese Mandarin 呼格
  • 呼格 (hūgé)grammar: used in address
Czech vokativní
  • vokativnígrammar: used in address
Dutch vocatief
  • vocatiefgrammar: used in address
Esperanto vokativo
  • vokativogrammar: used in address
Finnish kutsumuksellinen, kutsumus-
  • kutsumuksellinenof or pertaining to calling
  • kutsumus-of or pertaining to calling
  • vokatiivinengrammar: used in address
French vocationnel, vocatif
  • vocationnelof or pertaining to calling
  • vocatifgrammar: used in address
  • apostrophea vocative expression
German aufrufend, vokativ
  • aufrufendof or pertaining to calling
  • vokativgrammar: used in address
Greek κλητικός, κλητικός
  • κλητικός (klitikós)of or pertaining to calling
  • κλητικός (klitikós)grammar: used in address
Hindi संबोधित, संबोधित
  • संबोधित (sambodhit)of or pertaining to calling
  • संबोधित (sambodhit)grammar: used in address
Hungarian megszólító
  • megszólítógrammar: used in address
Irish gairmeach
  • gairmeachgrammar: used in address
Japanese 天職の, 呼格の
  • 天職の (tenshoku no)of or pertaining to calling
  • 呼格の (kokaku no)grammar: used in address
Latin vocātīvus, vocātīvus
  • vocātīvusof or pertaining to calling
  • vocātīvusgrammar: used in address
Polish wołacz
  • wołaczgrammar: used in address
Portuguese vocativo, vocativo
  • vocativoof or pertaining to calling
  • vocativogrammar: used in address
Russian призыва́ющий, зову́щий
  • призыва́ющий (prizyvájuščij)of or pertaining to calling
  • зову́щий (zovúščij)of or pertaining to calling
  • зва́тельный (zvátelʹnyj)grammar: used in address
Scottish Gaelic gairmeach
  • gairmeachgrammar: used in address
Slovak vokatívny
  • vokatívnygrammar: used in address
Spanish vocativo
  • vocativogrammar: used in address
Swedish vokativ
  • vokativgrammar: used in address
Ukrainian кли́чний
  • кли́чний (klýčnyj)grammar: used in address
Welsh cyfarchol
  • cyfarcholgrammar: used in address
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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