n. & adj. Gram.
--n. the case (esp. in Latin) of nouns and pronouns (and words in grammatical agreement with them) indicating an agent, instrument, or location.
--adj. of or in the ablative.
Phrases and idioms:
ablative absolute an absolute construction in Latin with a noun and participle or adjective in the ablative case (see ABSOLUTE).
Etymology: ME f. OF ablatif -ive or L ablativus (as ABLATION)