optative

C2 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /ˈɑptətɪv/ UK /ˈɒptətɪv/ See IPA manual

Freq #1214105

Meanings

1

adj
grammar: expressing a wish, hope, or possibility through a verb form or construction

Ancient Greek uses an optative form in several kinds of wishes and potential statements.
2

noun
a grammatical mood or a verb form that expresses a wish or hope

The translator rendered the optative with the English phrase may it be so.
3

adj
formal: desired or wished for rather than asserted as actual

The proposal remained optative because no mechanism existed to carry it out.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · grammar: expressing a wish,... wish-expressing

2 noun · a grammatical mood or a... optative mood

3 adj · formal: desired or wished... desiderativewished-for

Opposites

assertoric indicative

Word family

Derived forms optatively

Related forms subjunctive mood wish

Common collocations

optative mood Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Late Latin optativus ("expressing a wish"), from optatus, the past participle of optare ("to choose, wish"). Grammarians used it to translate Ancient Greek euktike, the name of the wishing mood.

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# optative

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈɑptətɪv/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɒptətɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 1214105

## Meanings
1. grammar: expressing a wish, hope, or possibility through a verb form or construction
2. a grammatical mood or a verb form that expresses a wish or hope
3. formal: desired or wished for rather than asserted as actual

## Examples
- Ancient Greek uses an optative form in several kinds of wishes and potential statements.
- The translator rendered the optative with the English phrase may it be so.
- The proposal remained optative because no mechanism existed to carry it out.

## Synonyms
- optative mood
- desiderative
- wish-expressing

## Antonyms
- assertoric
- indicative

## Derived Forms
- optatively

## Related Forms
- subjunctive
- mood
- wish

## Etymology
From Late Latin optativus ("expressing a wish"), from optatus, the past participle of optare ("to choose, wish"). Grammarians used it to translate Ancient Greek euktike, the name of the wishing mood.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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