intransitive

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Not transitive

   Not transitive: not having, or not taking, a direct object.

   • The word "drink" is a transitive verb in "they drink wine", but an intransitive one in "they drink often."
2. 2

   Not transitive or passing further

   Not transitive or passing further; kept; detained.

   • 1664-1667, Jeremy Taylor, Dissuasive from Popery And then it is for the image's sake and so far is intransitive; but whatever is paid more to the image is transitive and passes further.
3. 3

   Of a set of dice

   Of a set of dice: containing three dice A, B, and C, with the property that A rolls higher than B more than half the time, and B rolls higher than C more than half the time, but lacking the property that A rolls higher than C more than half the time. See intransitive dice and intransitive game.

4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      An intransitive verb.

      • This means that subcategorization properties do not allow us to distinguish between transitives and intransitives (both types of verbs are allowed, but not obliged, to take a direct object).

The neighborhood

• synonymneuter
• synonymnontransitive
• antonymtransitive
• neighborergative