What does optative mean?
Optative is a grammatical term for a mood or form that expresses a wish, prayer, or desire rather than stating a fact, issuing a command, or asking a direct question. The noun names this mood or the relevant clause form, while the adjective describes it: one may speak of the optative mood or an optative ending. In languages that distinguish it as a separate category, an optative typically marks the speaker's hope that something will happen, as in an invocation, benediction, or poetic wish. It differs from the indicative, which presents or asserts information, and from the imperative, which directs an action. Its relationship with the subjunctive can vary among grammatical analyses, since some languages use subjunctive forms for wishes as well as other purposes. Optative is therefore most often encountered in linguistics, philology, and the study of ancient or constructed languages. Although uncommon in ordinary conversation, it is useful because it gives a precise name to a basic expressive function of language: the ability to articulate a wish.
The grammatical mood or clause form used to express a wish, prayer, or desired outcome.
"The final line is an optative, expressing a prayer for peace."
The term is used chiefly in grammatical description and the analysis of individual languages.
Relating to or denoting a grammatical mood used to express a wish, prayer, or desire.
"The passage is in the optative mood."
It may modify nouns such as mood, form, clause, ending, or construction.
The plural is grammatically possible but rarely needed because discussions normally refer to the optative as a mood or form.
"The scholar compared several optatives from the language's earliest surviving texts."
The optative turns grammar into a wish: it expresses what the speaker desires rather than what they can assert or command.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does optative come from?
Optative derives from Latin optativus, meaning “expressive of a wish,” which was formed from optare, “to choose, wish for, or desire.” English usage of the grammatical term was established by the late 16th century. The same Latin root also underlies English words including option, opt, and adopt.
Related word forms
How optative is actually used
Optative is chiefly a specialist grammatical term rather than an everyday descriptive word. Its scope varies somewhat among grammatical traditions, and it should not be used as a general synonym for the subjunctive, since it more specifically concerns wishes or prayers.
Easily confused with optative
Optional means available for choice, whereas optative describes a grammatical form that expresses a wish.