reflexive

See also: réflexive

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin reflexīvus, from Latin reflexus, equivalent to reflex +‎ -ive.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) enPR: rĭflĕk'sĭv, rəflĕk'sĭv, IPA(key): /ɹɪˈflɛksɪv/, /ɹəˈflɛksɪv/
    • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Adjective

reflexive (not comparable)

  1. (grammar) Referring back to the subject, or having an object equal to the subject.
  2. (mathematics) Of a relation R on a set S, such that xRx for all members x of S (that is, the relation holds between any element of the set and itself).
    "Equals" is a reflexive relation, as it holds for all possible x; "not less" is non-reflexive because it is true only for some x and y, "unequal" is irreflexive, as it never holds between x and itself.
  3. Of or resulting from a reflex.
    The electric shock elicited an automatic and reflexive response from him.
  4. (figurative) Producing immediate response, spontaneous.
    Antonyms: contemplative, considered
    a reflexive dislike
  5. (politics) Producing or provoking a reciprocal response.
    • 2025 April 24, Christina Harward, Daria Novikov, Anna Harvey, Grace Mappes, George Barros, Nate Trotter, William Runkel, “Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 24, 2025”, in Ukraine Project‎[1], Institute for the Study of War, archived from the original on 14 August 2025:
      Shoigu's thinly veiled nuclear threats against NATO are part of the Kremlin's broader reflexive control campaign to influence Western decision-making in Russia's favor and against Western states' own interests. Shoigu's nuclear threats are attempts to push European states to self-deter and reduce their buildups of their defenses – leaving NATO's eastern border largely undefended. These reflexive control efforts are in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2021 demand before launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine that NATO not deploy any military forces to states that became NATO members after 1997, including Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
  6. Synonym of reflective.

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

reflexive (plural reflexives)

  1. (grammar) A reflexive pronoun.
  2. (grammar) A reflexive verb.

Translations

See also

Further reading

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

reflexive

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

Latin

Etymology 1

Adverb

reflexīvē (not comparable)

  1. reflexively

Etymology 2

Adjective

reflexīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of reflexīvus
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