augmentative

1 of 2

adjective

aug·​men·​ta·​tive ȯg-ˈmen-tə-tiv How to pronounce augmentative (audio)
1
: able to augment
2
grammar : indicating large size and sometimes awkwardness or unattractiveness
used of words and affixes
compare diminutive

augmentative

2 of 2

noun

grammar
: an augmentative word or affix

Examples of augmentative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The negative impacts are concentrated in fields where AI is more likely to automate tasks rather than augment work, and occupations with mainly augmentative AI applications have not seen similar declines in entry-level hires. Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025 Demmers is careful to position the tool as augmentative rather than disruptive. Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 Acknowledge that behavior is a type of legitimate communication. Be willing to accept all forms of communication, including augmentative alternative communication, as valid. Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 14 May 2025 Current augmentative and alternative communication approaches, such as gesturing or using tablet apps, have significant limitations. Mark Kendall, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2025 In the doc, Pistorius communicates through text-to-voice augmentative and alternative communication software. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025 Through a wide range of activities, AI is serving to improve humankind’s own innovative capabilities by acting as a powerful augmentative tool. David Henkin, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of augmentative was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Augmentative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/augmentative. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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