Intransitive

Intransitive

Adjective / Noun · /ɪnˈtræn.zɪ.tɪv/

Definition

(Of a verb) not taking a direct object; describing an action that does not pass over to an object but is complete in itself; (as noun) an intransitive verb.

Origin

From Late Latin intransitivus (not passing over), from in- (not) + transitivus (passing over), from transire (to go across), from trans- (across) + ire (to go). Used in English from the mid-17th century as a grammatical term.