NYT Dictionary

INFINITIVE

/ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/

NounAdjectivein-FIN-i-tivein-fin-i-tive · 4 syllablesGrade 6

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Meaning

The infinitive mood or mode (a grammatical mood).

Etymology

Origin: Middle English

From Middle English infenitife (“without end, in perpetuity”), from Late Latin īnfīnītīvus (“unlimited, indefinite”), from Latin īnfīnītus (“unlimited, infinite”). By surface analysis, infinite + -ive.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

auxiliaryintransitivetransitive

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 2 recorded puzzles:

2024-12-10NCTFEIV
2023-12-04VDNFEIT