Advertisement

Advertisement

copulative

[ kop-yuh-ley-tiv, -luh-tiv ]

adjective

  1. serving to unite or couple.
  2. Grammar.
    1. involving or consisting of connected words or clauses:

      a copulative sentence.

    2. pertaining to or serving as a copula; serving to connect subject and complement:

      a copulative verb.

    3. serving to connect nouns, noun phrases, verbs, clauses, etc.:

      a copulative conjunction.

    4. of the dvandva type:

      Bittersweet is a copulative compound.

  3. of or relating to sexual intercourse.


noun

  1. Grammar. a copulative word.

copulative

/ ˈkɒpjʊlətɪv /

adjective

  1. serving to join or unite
  2. of or characteristic of copulation
  3. grammar (of a verb) having the nature of a copula
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈcopulatively, adverb
Discover More

Other Words From

  • copu·lative·ly adverb
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of copulative1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English copulatif, from Middle French copulatif, copulative, from Late Latin cōpulātīvus; copulate, -ive
Discover More

Example Sentences

A conjunction copulative; a gallant match between your daughter and Raymond Mounchensey, young juventus.

The suspender of the larger copulative cell preserves its primitive form and becomes scarcely any larger.

That no number of connected singular nouns can govern a plural verb, unless they be connected by a copulative conjunction.

Murray admits of only the dis-junctive and copulative, and reduces the whole list of words to twenty-four.

It is a copulative conjunction, connecting the two members of the sentence—he will adopt if he can procure: Rule, as above.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


copulationcopulative asyndeton