Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

penetrative

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.31 in modern English

Syllables: pen-e-tra-tive
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

That can or does physically penetrate something; piercing, penetrating.

adj

Displaying insight or discrimination; acute; penetrating.

adj

That can penetrate opposition defences.

adj

Pertaining to sexual activity involving penetration by the penis (or similar object).

Example Sentences

"Would'ſt thou be window'd in great Rome, and ſee / Thy Maſter thus with pleacht Armes, bending downe / His corrigible necke, his face ſubdu'de / To penetratiue ſhame […]"
"[T]he penetrative Sun, / His Force deep-darting to the dark Retreat / Of Vegetation, sets the steaming Power / At large […]."
"I've been in a relationship for nearly a year and we have an amazing sex life as is, but we've never managed penetrative sex."

Etymology

From Middle English penetratyve, penetratif, from Medieval Latin penetrativus, from (the participle stem of) Latin penetrāre (“to penetrate”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: penetratyve, penetrativus, penetrāre

Inflected Forms

more penetrative (comparative) most penetrative (superlative)

Derived Forms

impenetrative interpenetrative nonpenetrative penetratively penetrativeness

Synonyms

penetrating acute discriminating incisive keen knifelike piercing sharp

Antonyms

unpenetrative

Questions

What does penetrative mean?: That can or does physically penetrate something; piercing, penetrating.
Where does penetrative come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce penetrative

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