What does "reflexive" mean?
A reflexive pronoun.
Reflexive
/ɹɪˈflɛksɪv/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A reflexive pronoun.
- Grammar: reflexive is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: active, active voice, anaphoric, animalistic behavior.
- Useful contrasts: irreflexive, non-reflexive, nonreflexive.
- Usage evidence: The relationship "A loves B" is not reflexive, transitive, or symmetric.
How to use "reflexive"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "reflexive" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "reflexive" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "reflexive" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "reflexive" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "reflexive" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "active" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "reflexive", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A reflexive pronoun.
- 2 a personal pronoun compounded with ‘-self’ to show the agent's action affects the agent wordnet
- 3 A reflexive verb.
Adjective
- 1 Referring back to the subject, or having an object equal to the subject. not-comparable
- 2 Of a relation R on a set S, such that xRx for all members x of S (that is, the relation holds between any element of the set and itself). not-comparable
""Equals" is a reflexive relation, as it holds for all possible x; "not less" is non-reflexive because it is true only for some x and y, "unequal" is irreflexive, as it never holds between x and itself."
- 3 Of or resulting from a reflex. not-comparable
"The electric shock elicited an automatic and reflexive response from him."
- 4 Producing immediate response, spontaneous. figuratively, not-comparable
"a reflexive dislike"
- 5 Producing or provoking a reciprocal response. not-comparable
"Shoigu's thinly veiled nuclear threats against NATO are part of the Kremlin's broader reflexive control campaign to influence Western decision-making in Russia's favor and against Western states' own interests. Shoigu's nuclear threats are attempts to push European states to self-deter and reduce their buildups of their defenses – leaving NATO's eastern border largely undefended. These reflexive control efforts are in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2021 demand before launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine that NATO not deploy any military forces to states that became NATO members after 1997, including Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Synonym of reflective. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 referring back to itself wordnet
- 2 without volition or conscious control wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The relationship "A loves B" is not reflexive, transitive, or symmetric."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "reflexive"?
Common synonyms include: active, active voice, anaphoric, animalistic behavior, antiphonal, automatic.
How do you use "reflexive" in a sentence?
The relationship "A loves B" is not reflexive, transitive, or symmetric.
How do you pronounce "reflexive"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈflɛksɪv/.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin reflexīvus, from Latin reflexus, equivalent to reflex + -ive.