generative

From Middle English generatyve, generatyf, generatif. Compare French génératif.

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛnəɹətɪv/, /ˈd͡ʒɛnɹətɪv/, /d͡ʒəˈnɛɹətɪv/

• Audio (Southern England)

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generative (comparative more generative, superlative most generative)

1. Having the power of generating, propagating, originating, or producing.

   Synonym: creative

   Antonym: annihilative

   • 1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693:

     That generative particle.

   • 1988, Andrew Radford, Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 127:

     Of course, structures like those associated with (36) and (37) constitute only a tiny subset of the infinite set of well-formed sentence structures found in English. We can increase the Generative Capacity of our grammar ( = the set of structures which it generates) either by expanding the Lexicon on the one hand, or by expanding the Categorial Rules (i.e. Phrase Structure Rules) on the other.

2. (euphemistic) reproductive
   • 2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 91:

     This ceremony seals the covenant in the flesh of the male generative organ.

• degenerative

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generative

1. inflection of generativ:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒe.ne.raˈti.ve/
• Rhymes: -ive
• Hyphenation: ge‧ne‧ra‧tì‧ve

generative

1. feminine plural of generativo

• generatevi