privative
/ˈprɪvətɪv/
adjective
- Indicating the absence or lack of something; expressing negation or deprivation.
- Some languages use a privative particle to show that something is missing.
- The word 'hopeless' contains the privative suffix '-less', meaning 'without hope'.
- In grammar, the prefix 'un-' is a privative marker that means 'not' or 'without'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
noun
- A word or affix that indicates the absence or lack of something, such as a prefix or suffix meaning 'without'.
- Linguists study how different languages use privatives to express negation.
- In English, 'un-' and '-less' are common privatives.
- The teacher explained that 'a-' in 'amoral' is a privative meaning 'without morals'.