intransitive

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a nountechnical

   Describing a verb, or a use of a verb, that does not take a direct object.

   Grammar: Often before a noun: an intransitive verb; it can also follow be: this use is intransitive.

   Patterns

   • an intransitive verb
   • an intransitive use of something

   'Sleep' is an intransitive verb because you cannot sleep something.

   In 'The ice melted', the verb 'melt' is intransitive.

   Many dictionaries mark each verb sense as transitive or intransitive.

2. 2nouncountabletechnicalrare

   An intransitive verb, or the intransitive form of a verb, discussed in grammar.

   Grammar: A rare noun use in grammar texts: the verbs listed are all intransitives.

   Patterns

   • transitives and intransitives

   The exercise asks students to sort the verbs into transitives and intransitives.

   Verbs like 'arrive' and 'fall' are typical intransitives.

Common combinations

intransitive verb

'Arrive' is an intransitive verb, so you cannot arrive a place.

intransitive use

The intransitive use of 'open' appears in 'The door opened'.

purely intransitive

The verb 'exist' is purely intransitive.

both transitive and intransitive

'Read' is both transitive and intransitive.

intransitive sense

The dictionary lists an intransitive sense of 'run' first.

Synonyms and how they differ

objectless

Objectless is a plain descriptive word that is rarely used in grammar books, whereas intransitive is the standard technical term.

Opposites

Word family

transitive adjective

describing a verb that takes a direct object

intransitively adverb

in an intransitive way, without an object

intransitivity noun

the quality of being intransitive

ditransitive adjective

describing a verb that takes two objects, like give

Commonly confused: intransitive or transitive? intransitive or transitory?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “intransitive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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