What does transitive mean?
In modern English grammar, transitive is an adjective used to describe a verb that requires a direct object. In a sentence such as “Maya opened the door,” the noun phrase “the door” is the direct object because it receives the action of opening; “opened” is therefore transitive. The term contrasts with intransitive, which describes a verb that does not require a direct object. Transitive is more than a rough synonym for “active” or “strong”: the classification is grammatical and depends on the verb’s construction. A verb may take an object in one sentence but omit it in another, in which case that particular use is intransitive. Transitive is especially useful when discussing syntax, ambiguity, and differences between English constructions, including changes that have occurred between older and modern forms of the language. It is standard terminology in British and American English, though it is more common in formal grammatical analysis than in everyday conversation. Learning the word gives learners a precise way to distinguish verbs according to the grammatical roles of their participants rather than merely their apparent effects.
adjectiveRelating to or denoting a verb that requires a direct object for its grammatical completeness.
- Denoting a verb that requires a direct object, especially as the grammatical subject of the verb.
"The verb “include” is transitive because it takes “the list” as its direct object."
"She translated the poem into English."
"The apparent transitive construction becomes intransitive when the direct object is omitted."
Transitive comes from a Latin word meaning “passing across”: the label describes a verb whose action passes to a direct object.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does transitive come from?
Early modern English borrowed transitive from Latin transitivus, meaning “passing across” or “going over,” a form based on transire, “to cross or pass over.” Its grammatical use developed from this broader notion of passing or transferring to a verb that acts upon a direct object. Related English words such as transit, transition, and transitory preserve the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How transitive is actually used
This is specialist grammatical terminology, chiefly used in language teaching and linguistics. A single verb may be transitive in one construction and intransitive in another, so its classification depends on the particular use rather than on the word alone.
Easily confused with transitive
A transitive verb requires a direct object, whereas an intransitive verb does not take one in the particular construction being discussed.