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Definition of reflexive
1a : directed or turned back on itself; also : overtly and usually ironically reflecting conventions of genre or form a reflexive novelb : marked by or capable of reflection : reflective
2 : of, relating to, characterized by, or being a relation that exists between an entity and itself the relation “is equal to” is reflexive but the relation “is the father of” is not
3 : of, relating to, or constituting an action (as in “he perjured himself”) directed back on the agent or the grammatical subject
4 : characterized by habitual and unthinking behavior
reflexively
adverbreflexiveness
nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
Examples of reflexive in a Sentence
In “I hurt myself,” the verb “hurt” is reflexive.
In the sentence “We forced ourselves to finish the assignment,” the word “ourselves” is a reflexive pronoun.
For many people, the reflexive response to this kind of demand is to say no.
music that triggers reflexive toe tapping
Recent Examples of reflexive from the Web
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Previous threats Alarmism about the state of a free press is often accompanied by a reflexive self-reassurance.
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And as is the case with its cousin martyrdom, reflexive moral relativism intensifies with the gravity of the issue at hand.
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The president’s respect for the courts should be reflexive, like his love of country.
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Foley said reflexive hostility from LGBT Democrats toward Trump and other Republicans isn’t an effective, long-term strategy.
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The story turns on a trick that overcomes the villagers’ reflexive stinginess; by the logic of the scheme, the working-out of the illusion transforms it into reality.
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But most of us are in a hurry, a reflexive, habitual, cultural hurry, which is why the laundry-folding robots will find a market.
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Second, the new FBI director must be apolitical and sensitive to the law-enforcement mission, not someone with a long record of reflexive partisanship or commentary on the very investigative issues that will come before the bureau.
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Thoughtful parents can guide children toward higher-payoff, conscious decisions instead of reflexive ones.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reflexive'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of reflexive
Medieval Latin reflexivus, from Latin reflexus
First Known Use of reflexive
1866
Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms
REFLEXIVE Defined for English Language Learners
reflexive
playDefinition of reflexive for English Language Learners
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grammar : showing that the action in a sentence or clause happens to the person or thing that does the action
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: happening or done without thinking as a reaction to something
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about reflexive
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Spanish Central: Translation of reflexive Nglish: Translation of reflexive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of reflexive for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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