subjunctive

1 of 2

adjective

sub·​junc·​tive səb-ˈjən(k)-tiv How to pronounce subjunctive (audio)
: of, relating to, or constituting a verb form or set of verb forms that represents a denoted act or state not as fact but as contingent or possible or viewed emotionally (as with doubt or desire)
the subjunctive mood

subjunctive

2 of 2

noun

1
: the subjunctive mood of a language
2
: a form of verb or verbal in the subjunctive mood

Examples of subjunctive in a Sentence

Adjective In “I wish it were Friday,” the verb “were” is in the subjunctive mood. Noun “I wish it were not so” is in the subjunctive. Subjunctives can be used to express doubt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Getting the subjunctive mood involved doesn’t sound like full-throated approval. Vulture, 6 May 2022 Clearly, the headline calls for the subjunctive mood: If Putin Were a Woman. WSJ, 10 July 2022 Otherwise, subjunctive verb forms are indistinguishable from indicative ones. Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2020 This gave Ryan Coogler free rein to create a country in the subjunctive mode: what if…? The New York Review of Books, 2 Mar. 2019 The author has to sneak away from his seat to consult Reagan letters, diaries and biographies to fortify what is essentially a subjunctive enterprise. Thomas Mallon, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2018
Noun
The body cannot live in the subjunctive, unfortunately. New York Times, 11 Jan. 2022 These new thoughts flooded in, leaving little room for concerns about Othello’s motivation or the subjunctive in French. New York Times, 13 May 2021 But the phrase is often used with the subjunctive, that word or phrase that indicates doubt: one mistake should not define me. Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2021 Fewer and fewer speakers are as meticulous about the subjunctive as Beyoncé. Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2020 The dreaded subjunctive indicates that something is not being asserted as true and this turns out to be difficult to learn when that is not an important distinction in your own language. Michelle Sheehan, Quartz, 3 July 2019 Batuman writes; Nina’s reality remains untroubled by conditionals and subjunctives. Katy Waldman, Slate Magazine, 20 Mar. 2017 To avoid the complicated subjunctive, which expresses wishes and hopes. Diana Spechler, Longreads, 28 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin subjunctivus, from Latin subjunctus, past participle of subjungere to join beneath, subordinate

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1504, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of subjunctive was circa 1504

Dictionary Entries Near subjunctive

Cite this Entry

“Subjunctive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjunctive. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

subjunctive

1 of 2 adjective
sub·​junc·​tive səb-ˈjəŋ(k)-tiv How to pronounce subjunctive (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a verb form that represents an act or state not as fact but as conditional or possible or viewed emotionally (as with doubt or desire)
the verb "were" is in the subjunctive mood in "if I were you, I wouldn't go"

subjunctive

2 of 2 noun
: the subjunctive mood of a verb or a verb in this mood

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