# absolutive

CEFR C2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/absolutive
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

relating to a specific part of speech or a grammatical case that marks the subject of a sentence. It is a very technical term used mostly by experts in language studies.

For teachers: relating to the absolutive case, which typically marks the subject of a verb or the object of a preposition. Often used in linguistic analysis to describe the grammatical category of a word.

## Examples

- The absolutive case is used to identify the subject.
- In many languages, the absolutive case is the default form for a noun when it is not being acted upon by another verb.
- The linguist argued that the absolutive case in this dialect is not merely a grammatical marker but a reflection of the speaker's deep-seated cognitive structure for categorizing events.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.