adjective
- acting as a cause; producing (often followed by of): a causative agency; an event causative of war.
- Grammar. noting causation. The causative form of to fall is to fell. Gothic -jan is a causative suffix in fulljan “to cause to be full; to fill.”
noun
- Grammar. a word, especially a verb, noting causation, as made in He made me eat the apple.
adjective
- grammar relating to a form or class of verbs, such as persuade, that express causation
- (often postpositive and foll by of) producing an effect
noun
- the causative form or class of verbs
early 15c. (as a noun), from French causatif, from Latin causativus, from causa (see cause (n.)).