I. dis·junctive də̇sˈjəŋ(k)tiv noun
( -s )
Etymology: Late Latin & Latin disjunctivus, adjective
1. : a disjunctive conjunction
2. in Hebrew orthography : a disjunctive accent
3. : disjunction 2 ; broadly : a situation involving alternate choices
II. dis·junc·tive dəsˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷, (ˈ)dis| ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ adjective
Etymology: Latin disjunctivus, from disjunctus + -ivus -ive
1.
a. : tending to disjoin : involving disjunction : separative
b. of a vowel : epenthesized in a cluster of consonants to facilitate pronunciation
the parasitic vowel ə in the pronunciation ˈathəˌlēt of athlete is disjunctive
2.
[Late Latin disjunctivus, from Latin]
a. of a conjunction : expressing an alternative, contrast, or opposition between the meanings of the words or word groups that it connects
the disjunctive conjunctions or in “peas or beans”, either … or in “either milk or cream”, but in “small but important”, and though in “they went on playing ball though it was raining”
— contrasted with copulative
b. : pleading or marked by mutually exclusive alternatives joined by “or”
the disjunctive statement the defendant knew or ought to have known
disjunctive pleading
3. of a pronoun form : stressed and not attached to the verb as an enclitic or proclitic (as French moi, lui, toi, soi ) — contrasted with conjunctive
4. in Hebrew orthography : indicating that the word marked is separated to a greater or less degree rhythmically and grammatically from the word which follows it — used of an accent; opposed to conjunctive
• dis·junc·tive·ly -tə̇vlē adverb