n.
Pronunciation: ' tran(t)-s ə -tiv, ' tran-z ə -; ' tran(t)s-tiv
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin transitivus, from Latin transitus, past participle of transire
Date: 1590
1 : characterized by having or containing a direct object <a transitive verb> <a transitive construction>
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
– tran · si · tive · ly adverb
– tran · si · tive · ness noun
– tran · si · tiv · i · ty \ ˌ tran(t)-s ə - ' ti-v ə -t ē , ˌ tran-z ə - \ noun