reflexive
Học thuậtThân thiện
The doctor tests the patient's reflexive knee jerk with a small rubber hammer.
Definition
Adjective:
- Referring back to itself: Describing an action where the subject and the object are the same entity, or a grammatical element that refers back to the subject of the clause.
- Without volition or conscious control: Describing an automatic, instinctive response to a stimulus; a reflex.
Noun:
- A reflexive pronoun or verb: A word, specifically a personal pronoun compounded with -self (e.g., myself, themselves) or a verb form, that indicates the agent's action affects the agent.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Grammatical):
- In the sentence "She taught herself," the verb "taught" is used in a reflexive way.
- "Himself" is a reflexive pronoun that refers back to the subject "he."
- Adjective (Automatic):
- A reflexive jerk of the leg occurs when the knee is tapped.
- Blinking when something approaches your eye is a reflexive action.
- Noun:
- The word "ourselves" in that sentence is a reflexive.
- Some languages have specific verb endings to mark a reflexive.
Advanced Usage
- Reflexive verb: A verb whose direct object is the same as its subject. In English, this is often shown with a reflexive pronoun.
- He prides himself on his punctuality. (The action of "priding" is directed back at the subject "he.")
- Inherently reflexive: Describing an action that is almost always performed upon oneself.
- Actions like "behave," "avail," and "perjure" are inherently reflexive and typically require a reflexive pronoun.
Variants and Related Words
- Reflex (noun): An automatic and often inborn response to a stimulus.
- The doctor tested my gag reflex.
- Reflexively (adverb): In an automatic, instinctive manner.
- She reflexively reached out to catch the falling cup.
- Reflexivity (noun): The state of being reflexive, especially the capability of a verb or its construction to take a reflexive pronoun.
Synonyms
- Automatic: Operating independently of conscious thought.
- Instinctive: Relating to or prompted by instinct; not learned.
- Involuntary: Done without conscious control.
- Self-referential: Referring to oneself or itself.
Related Phrases / Constructions
- Reflexive pronoun: The set of pronouns ending in or (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) used as the object of a verb or preposition when it refers to the subject.
- I bought a ticket for myself.
- By + reflexive pronoun: Used for emphasis or to mean "alone" or "without help."
- The child did the puzzle all by himself.
The doctor tests the patient's reflexive knee jerk with a small rubber hammer.
Adjective
- referring back to itself
- without volition or conscious control
- the automatic shrinking of the pupils of the eye in strong light
- a reflex knee jerk
- sneezing is reflexive
Noun
- a personal pronoun compounded with -self to show the agent's action affects the agent