— distributively , adv. — distributiveness , n.
/di strib"yeuh tiv/ , adj.
1. serving to distribute, assign, allot, or divide; characterized by or pertaining to distribution.
2. Gram. referring to the members of a group individually, as the adjectives each and every.
3. Logic. (of a term) distributed in a given proposition.
4. Math.
a. (of a binary operation) having the property that terms in an expression may be expanded in a particular way to form an equivalent expression, as a ( b + c ) = ab + ac.
b. having reference to this property: distributive law for multiplication over addition.
c. (of a lattice) having the property that for any three elements, the intersection of the first element with the union of the others is equal to the intersection of the first element with each of the others.
n.
5. a distributive word or expression.
[ 1425-75; late ME distributif distributivus (see DISTRIBUTE, -IVE) ]