/ ˈdeɪtɪv; NAmE / noun
( grammar ) ( in some languages ) the form of a noun, a pronoun or an adjective when it is the indirect object of a verb or is connected with the indirect object :
In the sentence, 'I sent her a postcard', the word 'her' is in the dative .
—compare ablative , accusative , genitive , locative , nominative , vocative
► dat·ive adjective
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin (casus) dativus (case) of giving, from dat- given, from the verb dare .