INFINITIVE

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English infinityf, from Late Latin infinitivus, from Latin infinitus Date: 15th century formed with the ~, ~ly adverb II. noun Date: 1530 a verb form normally identical in English with the first person singular that performs some functions of a noun and at the same time displays some characteristics of a verb and that is used with to (as in “I asked him to go ”) except with auxiliary and various other verbs (as in “no one saw him leave ”)