-ative
a combination of -ate1. and -ive, used to form adjectives from stems in -ate1, (regulative); on this model, because of the frequency and productivity of -ate1 , used independently to form adjectives from stems of other origin:
normative.
-ative
suffix
of, relating to, or tending to authoritative, decorative, informative
word origin
from latin -ātīvus, from ātus-ate1 + īvus-ive
Read Also:
- -ator
a combination of -ate1. and -or2. that forms nouns corresponding to verbs ending in -ate1, ,denoting a human agent (agitator; mediator; adjudicator) or nonhuman ent-ty, especially a machine (incubator; regulator; vibrator) performing the function named by the verb. compare -tor, -or2 . -ator suffix a person or thing that performs a certain action agitator, escalator, […]
- -atorium
-atorium suffix used to form nouns place where an indicated thing is done: drinkatorium/ lubritorium/ printorium
- -atory
a combination of -ate1. and -ory1. or -ory2 , used infrequently as an independent suffix with the same senses as -ory1. and -ory2 : affirmatory; observatory . -atory suffix of, relating to, characterized by, or serving to circulatory, exploratory, migratory, explanatory word origin from latin -ātōrius; see -ate1, -ory²
- -bacter
a combining form with the meaning “rod,” used primarily in biology to form generic names of bacteria: aerobacter; arthrobacter.
- -ball
-ball combining word a person who is obnoxious or strange because of what is indicated: oddball/ goofball/ dirtball/ dizzball/ sleazeball baseball of a specified sort: billyball/ greedball [1970s+; first sense probably fr 1930s screwball, ”eccentric person,” fr late 1920s name of a baseball pitch, suggesting screwy, ”crazy, eccentric”; second sense fr the kind of baseball […]