reflexive
reflexive Lexical Profile
reflexive Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Performed involuntarily or automatically without conscious thought, as a physical reflex or habitual response.
"Pulling her hand away from the hot stove was a purely reflexive action."
(In grammar) denoting a pronoun, verb, or construction in which the action of the verb is directed back upon the same grammatical subject.
"In the sentence 'He taught himself to play the piano,' the word 'himself' functions as a reflexive pronoun."
(In sociology and philosophy) taking account of itself or of the effect of the researcher's own presence and beliefs on what is being investigated.
"Modern ethnography requires a reflexive approach in which scholars examine their own cultural biases."
(In logic and mathematics) designating a relation that always holds between any given element of a set and itself, such as equality.
"In set theory, equality is a reflexive relation because every number is equal to itself."
• noun
A reflexive verb or pronoun that refers back to the subject of the clause in which it is used.
"Students learning Romance languages often need extra practice to master the placement of reflexives."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'reflexive' (describing an automatic, involuntary reaction or a grammatical subject acting on itself) with 'reflective' (describing deep thought or the physical reflection of light).
• Rhymes for reflexive
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Medieval Latin reflexivus, from Latin reflexus, the past participle of reflectere ('to bend back').