What does desiderative mean?
In specialized grammatical usage, desiderative describes a mood, form, or construction that expresses a wish or makes a request. Such language seeks to bring about an action or outcome rather than simply report a fact, which makes the term especially applicable to petitions, prayers, invitations, and formal appeals. In wider literary or formal usage, desiderative can characterize a tone as desirous, hopeful, or intent on persuading someone to act. The noun refers to the grammatical mood itself and is relatively uncommon. Although the word may initially sound opaque, it is precise and useful in discussions of syntax and rhetoric because it distinguishes expressions of desire from statements of reality. It is found in descriptions of languages in which wishes and requests are formally distinguished from ordinary declarative sentences.
Expressing or relating to a desire or wish; especially, grammatical in a mood or construction that makes a request.
"The committee adopted a strongly desiderative formulation, explicitly asking the council to reconsider the proposal."
In grammar, it describes a mood or construction rather than an individual word.
A grammatical mood or form that expresses a wish, request, or strong desire for an action or outcome.
"The construction functions as a desiderative, directing that the action be carried out."
The noun is rare and normally appears in grammatical or linguistic discussion.
The plural is rare and refers to grammatical forms or constructions that express wishes or requests.
"The manual distinguishes declaratives from desideratives in the language's formal registers."
Desiderative is grammar's way of making a sentence ask rather than merely tell.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does desiderative come from?
The word comes from Latin desiderativus, an adjective meaning wishful or expressing desire and formed from desiderare, “to wish for” or “to desire.” English later adopted the Latin-derived term for the grammatical mood used to express requests and wishes. Its relatives include Latin desiderium, “a wish or desire,” and the English words desiderata and desirable.
How desiderative is actually used
The word is principally a specialist grammatical term and is much less common in everyday prose. In literary or formal contexts, it can also describe language whose purpose is to express a wish or make an appeal.
Easily confused with desiderative
A desideratum is a thing that is desired, whereas desiderative is an adjective or noun describing an expression of desire.
Desiderata are the things people desire, while desiderative refers to a wishful or requesting grammatical construction.