Reflexive

Reflexive

Adjective · /rɪˈfleksɪv/ · directed back on itself; in grammar, referring to an action performed by the subject on itself

Definition

Reflexive describes anything that turns back on itself. In grammar, a reflexive verb or pronoun is one where the subject and the object are the same — as in "she hurt herself." In psychology and philosophy, a reflexive action is one triggered automatically without conscious thought. The word captures the idea of looping back, of a force or action returning to its point of origin.

Origin

From Latin reflexivus, from reflectere — re- (back) + flectere (to bend). To be reflexive is to be bent back. The optical sense came first — light reflecting off a surface — and the grammatical and psychological senses followed. The word entered English in the 16th century and has been central to linguistics, psychology, and philosophy ever since.