Presentative
adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A construct that serves to present something, or draw it to the attention of the interlocutor.
- 1 Presenting, or able to represent, an idea in the mind.
"Of these we may distinguish two great classes: those arts, like sculpture, painting, acting, which are representative, or, as used to be said very clumsily, imitative; and those, like architecture, music, and the dance, which are self-sufficient, and merely presentative."
- 2 Of a benefice, or the advowsons, tithes, etc., associated with a benefice: that a patron has the right to present.
"Mrs. Ellen Gulſton, Relict of Theodore Gulſton, Doctor of Phyſick, a very Learned Man, being poſſeſſed of the Impropriate Parſonage of Bardvvell in Suffolk, did firſt procure from the King leave to annex the ſame to the Vicarage, and to make it Preſentative; and having formerly the Donation of the Vicarage, ſhe gave them both thus annexed freely to St. John’s College in Oxon: Expreſſing many Godly Reaſons in a pious Letter of her Grant, to advance the Glory of God to her Povver, &c."
- 3 Serving to present something, or draw it to the attention of the interlocutor.
- 4 Of or pertaining to a presentation (“an image formed in the mind after an object is perceived”).
- 5 Synonym of representative (“representing another, or representing a larger group”). obsolete
"[T]hat diſloyal Maxime, that the body of the State is above the King, is contradicted by the ordinary ſtyle of their papers preſented to the King by his Body: The Two Houſes [of Parliament] moſt humbly beſeech their Soveraign Lord the King, and they qualifie themſelves, the moſt humble and Loyal ſubjects of his Majestie, ’tis the Preſentative Body of the Kingdome who ſpeaks, and nothing by way of Complement but Duty: […]"
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- 6 Of or pertaining to an act of presenting or giving an object to someone. obsolete, rare
Synonyms
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All antonymsExample
More examples"Of these we may distinguish two great classes: those arts, like sculpture, painting, acting, which are representative, or, as used to be said very clumsily, imitative; and those, like architecture, music, and the dance, which are self-sufficient, and merely presentative."
Etymology
The adjective is derived from Late Latin praesentativus (“that presents for consideration”) + English -ive (suffix signifying belonging or relating to, of the nature of, serving to, or tending to, forming adjectives). Praesentativus is from Latin praesentātus (“presented, exhibited, or shown”) + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives); while praesentātus is the perfect passive participle of praesentō (“to present, exhibit, or show”), from praesēns (“at hand, present; existing; immediate; prompt; propitious; (grammar) present”) (the present active participle of praesum (“to be before something; to be in charge of; to command, lead; to preside or rule over”), from prae- (prefix meaning ‘before, in front; in charge’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- (“before; in front”)) + sum (“to be, exist, have”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”))) + -tō (frequentative suffix). The English word is analysable as present + -ative. The noun sense (“construct that serves to present something, or draw it to the attention of the interlocutor”) is derived from adjective sense 3 (“serving to present something, or draw it to the attention of the interlocutor”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.