reflexive

adjective re·flex·ive \ ri-ˈflek-siv \

|Updated on: 27 May 2018

Examples: reflexive in a Sentence

Definition of reflexive

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

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reflexively

adverb

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reflexiveness

noun

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reflexivity

play \ˌrē-ˌflek-ˈsi-və-tē, ri-\ noun

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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

One of the most disconcerting trends of the modern internet is the specific, reflexive ways that bad actors have learned to manipulate and dismiss inconvenient truths by using the culture, systems, and mechanics of the internet.

— bijan stephen, The Verge, "Elon Musk thinks you can crowdsource truth, but that’s not how the internet works," 24 May 2018
After the May 1 incident, a cone of silence descended almost immediately over Haddonfield High — a reflexive circling of the wagons by an image-conscious school seemingly as concerned about protecting reputations as protecting students.

— kevin riordan, Philly.com, "In Haddonfield, 'don't snitch' and denial over alleged racial slur that ended lacrosse season," 16 May 2018
Toronto president Masai Ujiri is a methodical and calculating executive; firing a coach, one who led the Raptors to their five best seasons in franchise history, in a fit of reflexive rage would be entirely out of character.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "Raptors Coach Dwane Casey Wasn't Fired Because He Lost to LeBron," 11 May 2018
Kennedy's 1963 assassination prompted a whirlwind of questions from the public and researchers, plenty of conspiracy theories and reflexive secrecy from the government.

— eli watkins, CNN, "Trump pushes JFK assassination records deadline to 2021," 26 Apr. 2018
His segment about Skripal was in sync with a reflexive response of Russian officials to attribute nearly all criticism from the West to anti-Russia bias.

— Washington Post, "In Russia, suspicions over spy’s poisoning point to Britain," 12 Mar. 2018
But throughout its history, this reflexive devotion to operating in the shadows has repeatedly disserved the Agency.

— joseph margulies, Time, "Gina Haspel Ran the CIA Site Where My Client Had Been Tortured. Her Testimony Changed My Opinion of Her," 10 May 2018
What seems to be happening at the CFPB is kind of a reflexive, anti-whatever the last guy did approach.

— emily stewart, Vox, "Richard Cordray used to lead the government’s top consumer watchdog. Now he’s trying to become governor of Ohio.," 9 May 2018
Even then, though, there's a lot of Dark Souls-style reflexive double-tapping to roll away at the first sign of telegraphed trouble.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "God of War (2018): How to reinvent a beloved series without ruining what works," 12 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1615

in the meaning defined at sense 1b

See Words from the same year

reflexive

noun

Definition of reflexive

: reflexive pronoun

First Known Use of reflexive

1866

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

REFLEXIVE Defined for English Language Learners

reflexive

adjective

Definition of reflexive for English Language Learners

grammar : showing that the action in a sentence or clause happens to the person or thing that does the action
: happening or done without thinking as a reaction to something