reflexive

adjective

re·flex·ive | \ ri-ˈflek-siv

Definition of reflexive

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

reflexive

noun

Definition of reflexive (Entry 2 of 2)

: reflexive pronoun

Other Words from reflexive More Example Sentences Learn More about reflexive

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Other Words from reflexive

Adjective

reflexively adverb

reflexiveness noun

reflexivity \ ˌrē-ˌflek-ˈsi-və-tē ,

ri- \ noun

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 whole thing is surprisingly not-boring, even though the very title Actors on Actors forces me to suppress a reflexive jerk-off motion. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "This Week in Timothée Chalamet," 7 Dec. 2018 Long-term indulgence of the PLO’s recalcitrance has had the effect of allowing a toxic and reflexive anti-Israel sentiment to build in international institutions, not least among academics and students on U.S. campuses. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Shutting Down the PLO," 10 Sep. 2018 According to National Geographic, when a snake is decapitated, its head still has the capacity to carry out reflexive action, such as being able to open its mouth, bite and inject large amounts of venom. — PEOPLE.com, "Father of Two Nearly Dies After Being Bitten By Rattlesnake's Severed Head: 'It Was Very Scary'," 7 June 2018 Critically, this is more than just a series of misjudgments or even a reflexive overestimation of the utility of military force. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "The Weekly Standard’s demise is a reminder that there are some ideas worse than Trumpism," 5 Dec. 2018 Before his untimely death last year, Rosling (with his son and daughter-in-law as co-authors) published a magnificent book arguing against such reflexive pessimism. — Matt Ridley, WSJ, "Why Is It So Cool to Be Gloomy?," 15 Nov. 2018 George Soros has this great notion of a reflexive asset. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "Startup advisor Elad Gil is worried that we’re losing our ability to be optimistic about tech," 20 Aug. 2018 From the start, these groups were both productive and self-reflexive. — Nancy Baym, WIRED, "Book Excerpt: How Music Fans Built the Internet," 10 July 2018 But the early defense of Jordan suggests a reflexive urge for members of his party to back one of their own. — Tara Golshan, Vox, "Jim Jordan is accused of turning a blind eye to Ohio State sexual abuse. Now he’s attacking the accusers.," 6 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The most common criticisms— a reflexive, sometimes paranoid concern over the U.N.’s encroachments on American sovereignty, or a smug dismissal of cooperation between states as a utopian pipe dream—are easy to rebut. — Martin Peretz, WSJ, "Let’s Get the U.N. Out of the U.S.," 28 Sep. 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.