transitive

play

adjective tran·si·tive \ ˈtran(t)-sə-tiv , ˈtran-zə- ; ˈtran(t)s-tiv \

Definition of transitive

1 :characterized by having or containing a direct object

a transitive verb

2 :being or relating to a relation with the property that if the relation holds between a first element and a second and between the second element and a third, it holds between the first and third elements

equality is a transitive relation

3 :of, relating to, or characterized by transition

—

transitively

adverb

—

transitiveness

noun

—

transitivity

play \ˌtran(t)-sə-ˈti-və-tē, ˌtran-zə-\ noun

See transitive defined for English-language learners

See transitive defined for kids

Examples of transitive in a Sentence

In “I like pie” and “She makes hats,” the verbs “like” and “makes” are transitive.

Recent Examples of transitive from the Web

That’s because Scott’s latest, Alien: Covenant, is quite explicitly both a sequel to Prometheus and a prequel to Alien, so by the transitive property—

— christopher orr, The Atlantic, "Alien: Covenant Is the Best Installment Since Aliens," 19 May 2017
Clemson’s dazzling victory also made Illinois State a transitive champion: ISU > Northwestern > Pitt > Clemson.

— teddy greenstein, chicagotribune.com, "Nick Saban’s obscene new salary blurs the line between college and pros," 2 May 2017
By the transitive property of celebrity, actors can be politicians.

— kenzie bryant, Vanities, "Game of Thrones’ Hodor Might Run for Office over Same-Sex Marriage Restrictions," 20 Apr. 2017
And if industry dynamics are not transitive across the board, expertise isn’t, either.

— bess levin, The Hive, "Corporate America Not Down with Trump’s Plan to Kill the Planet," 30 Mar. 2017
Hens have demonstrated transitive inference, or the ability to deduce that if A is bigger than B and B is bigger than C, then A is bigger than C. That’s considered a milestone for 7-year-old children.

— karin brulliard, The Denver Post, "Chickens “changed the world.” So why do we ignore them?," 18 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'transitive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

What is the difference between a transitive verb and an intransitive verb?

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object, which is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that follows the verb and completes the sentence's meaning by indicating the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. The direct object typically answers the question what? or whom?:

The kids like pickles.

That really annoys me.

Have they sold their house yet?

An intransitive verb is not used with a direct object. If something comes after an intransitive verb, that is, in the position usually inhabited by the direct object, it doesn't answer what? or whom?; instead it answers a question like where?, when?, how?, or how long?:

Her car died suddenly last week.

Someone was coughing loudly.

A single verb can have both transitive and intransitive uses:

They are playing soccer.

They've been playing all afternoon.

A transitive verb can also have an indirect object, which is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that comes before a direct object and indicates the person or thing that receives what is being given or done. Many common verbs can be used with both direct and indirect objects. In the following examples the indirect object is in italics: