split infinitive
noun
: an infinitive with to having a modifier between the to and the verbal (as in "to really start")
What is a split infinitive?: Usage Guide
The split infinitive was discovered, named, and rejected by grammarians in the 19th century, when writers were making greater use of it than they had in preceding centuries. The construction had in fact been in occasional use since the 14th century; only its frequency had changed. Much maligned throughout the 20th century, the split infinitive is now widely accepted especially when it aids in clarity.
to quickly find the solution
Examples of split infinitive in a Sentence
“To really start” is an example of a split infinitive.
Recent Examples on the Web
No reputable authority on usage, either in England or in the United States, bans the split infinitive.
—
Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024
The next year, President Kennedy made a resonant decision: to boldly go, as the Star Trek prologue was to put it in a ringing split infinitive, where no man had gone before.
—Anthony Haden-Guest, Harper's Magazine, 26 Oct. 2021
The app and browser extension works across programs and platforms, pointing out your split infinitives in emails, word processors, websites, or on social media.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2020
Of course, split infinitives, dangling modifiers, and subject-verb disagreements have always appeared wherever words are uttered or keys are stroked.
—Jake Cline, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2019
For the prigs, the mania for FAANG stocks is as abhorrent as a split infinitive.
—The Economist, 23 June 2018
Sime wielded a thick black pencil that split infinitives, popularized inventive adjectives and nouns (hoofer, chantoosies, warblers, kidvid, boffo) and turned other nouns into verbs (authored, readied, helmed).
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024
The next year, President Kennedy made a resonant decision: to boldly go, as the Star Trek prologue was to put it in a ringing split infinitive, where no man had gone before.
—Anthony Haden-Guest, Harper's Magazine, 26 Oct. 2021
The app and browser extension works across programs and platforms, pointing out your split infinitives in emails, word processors, websites, or on social media.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2020
Of course, split infinitives, dangling modifiers, and subject-verb disagreements have always appeared wherever words are uttered or keys are stroked.
—Jake Cline, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2019
For the prigs, the mania for FAANG stocks is as abhorrent as a split infinitive.
—The Economist, 23 June 2018
Sime wielded a thick black pencil that split infinitives, popularized inventive adjectives and nouns (hoofer, chantoosies, warblers, kidvid, boffo) and turned other nouns into verbs (authored, readied, helmed).
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Split infinitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/split%20infinitive. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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