re·flex·ive (r -fl k s v)adj.1. Directed back on itself. 2. Grammar a. Of, relating to, or being a verb having an identical subject and direct object, as dressed in the sentence She dressed herself. b. Of, relating to, or being the pronoun used as the direct object of a reflexive verb, as herself in She dressed herself. 3. Of or relating to a reflex. 4. Elicited automatically; spontaneous: "a bid for . . . reflexive left-wing approval" Marshall Delaney. n. Grammar A reflexive verb or pronoun. See Usage Note at myself.
re·flex ive·ly adv. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | reflexiveness - the coreferential relation between a reflexive pronoun and its antecedentcoreference - the grammatical relation between two words that have a common referent |
| 2. | reflexiveness - (logic and mathematics) a relation such that it holds between an element and itselfmath, mathematics, maths - a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement logic - the branch of philosophy that analyzes inference |