I. ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷zəd.iv, -ətiv, -ēv adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French accusatif, from Latin accusativus (translation of Greek aitiatikos, literally, accusing, causal), from accusatus (past participle of accusare ) + -ivus -ive
1.
a. of a grammatical case : marking typically the direct object of a verb (as Latin filium in mater amat filium “the mother loves her son”; German mich in er sieht mich “he sees me”) or the object of any of several prepositions (as Latin eos in ad eos “toward them”; German den stuhl in ohne den stuhl “without the chair”) — used especially in the grammar of those Indo-European languages that have relatively full inflections
b. of a word or word group : being the direct object of a verb or the object of a preposition even when this relation is not marked by any inflectional element (as Robert in “John met Robert”) — not now used technically
c. : of or belonging to the accusative case
an accusative ending
2. : accusing, accusatory
indicating their opponent with accusative forefingers — Stephen Crane
• ac·cu·sa·tive·ly adverb
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin accusativus, from accusativus, adjective
: the accusative case of a language or a form in the accusative case