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Other

optative

Syllabification: (op·ta·tive)
Pronunciation: /ˈäptətiv/
Grammar
Definition of optative

adjective

  • relating to or denoting a mood of verbs in Greek and other languages, expressing a wish, equivalent to English expressions if only.

noun

  • a verb in the optative mood.
  • (the optative) the optative mood.

Derivatives

optatively

adverb

Origin:

mid 16th century: from French optatif, -ive, from late Latin optativus, from optat- 'chosen', from the verb optare (see opt)

optative in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of optative in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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