reflexive

play

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

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

See reflexive defined for English-language learners

See reflexive defined for kids

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

Shooting the messenger may be the reflexive response, but doing so may lead to legal liability.

— jack greiner, Cincinnati.com, "Greiner: “OK, Google, search free speech at work.”," 30 Aug. 2017
But the fact that it was even proposed betrays a reflexive invitation to state—or, in this case, para-state—violence that never lurks far from the surface of gentrification debates.

— colin kinniburgh, New Republic, "How To Stop Gentrification," 9 Aug. 2017
Yet Jenner combines the self-obsession of a teenager with the reflexive crouch of someone who has learned to quash confessional impulses.

— time, Time, "Kylie Jenner Struggles to Appear Real in Her New Reality Show," 4 Aug. 2017
Scroll down and watch his reflexive bat flip after a two-run blast in the seventh inning to tie the game against the Los Angeles Angels.

— jim kleinpeter, NOLA.com, "Watch this sweet bat flip by Logan Morrison after homer," 17 July 2017
But in Washington, six months after Trump assumed office, the reflexive response of the U.S.’s intricate legal system is already kicking in.

— vanityfair.com, "How Donnygate Reveals the True Similarity Between Trump and Putin," 11 July 2017
Hailed as the literary debut of the year by Vogue, Zinzi’s powerful testament is a beautiful example of self-reflexive postmodern fiction that plays with generic conventions without coming off as precious.

— tirdad derakhshani, Philly.com, "Swarthmore's Zizi Clemmons on her debut novel about 'sex and death'," 11 July 2017
The show is television through and through, if also at the same time self-reflexive enough to understand its own place in the television landscape.

— corey atad, Esquire, "Twin Peaks Gains Some Forward Momentum and Begins to Reflect the Real World," 10 July 2017
Previous threats Alarmism about the state of a free press is often accompanied by a reflexive self-reassurance.

— steven zeitchik, latimes.com, "Exploring the 1st Amendment in a time of Trump-media showdowns," 30 June 2017

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

See Words from the same year

reflexive

noun

Definition of reflexive

:reflexive pronoun

Recent Examples of reflexive from the Web

But the play also is a reflexive, self-referential commentary on literature.

— tirdad derakhshani, Philly.com, "Aetna Gallagher astonishes in Curio's 'The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary'," 30 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of reflexive

1866

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

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

REFLEXIVE Defined for English Language Learners

reflexive

play

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