INFINITIVE


Meaning of INFINITIVE in English

I. in-ˈfi-nə-tiv adjective

Etymology: Middle English infinityf, from Late Latin infinitivus, from Latin infinitus

Date: 15th century

: formed with the infinitive

• in·fin·i·tive·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 ”)

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.