reflexive

1 of 2

adjective

re·​flex·​ive ri-ˈflek-siv 

1

a

: directed or turned back on itself

also : overtly and usually ironically reflecting conventions of genre or form

a reflexive novel

b

: 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 adverb

reflexiveness noun

reflexivity

ˌrē-ˌflek-ˈsi-və-tē 

ri-

noun

reflexive

2 of 2

noun

: reflexive pronoun

Examples of reflexive in a Sentence

Adjective

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 on the Web

Adjective

The high-stakes world of emergency medicine makes protecting life reflexive and medical interventions automatic. —Lindsey Breitwieser, The Conversation, 1 July 2025

In an ecosystem where audiences can’t—or won’t—filter every post for truth or relevance, trust becomes optional and attention becomes reflexive. —Bylyric Mandell, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

Noun

Andrew Bevel’s motivation for publishing a memoir goes beyond that reflexive droit du seigneur Ida describes. —Jonathan Dee, Harper's Magazine, 11 May 2022

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Medieval Latin reflexivus, from Latin reflexus

First Known Use

Adjective

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun

1866, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing reflexive

• reflexive pronoun
• self-reflexive

Kids Definition

reflexive

1 of 2 adjective

re·​flex·​ive ri-ˈflek-siv 

1

: turned back upon itself

2

: of, relating to, or being an action directed back upon the doer or the grammatical subject

3

: of, relating to, or being a relation which exists between a thing and itself

the relation of equality or "is equal to" is reflexive but the relation "is the parent of" is not

4

: characterized by behavior that occurs automatically without thinking

a reflexive response

reflexively adverb

reflexive

2 of 2 noun

: a pronoun that refers to the grammatical subject and is the object of the verb

in the sentence "We forced ourselves to finish the assignment," the word "ourselves" is a reflexive

Medical Definition

reflexive

adjective

re·​flex·​ive ri-ˈflek-siv 

: characterized by habitual and unthinking behavior

also : relating to or consisting of a reflex