inflectional

/ɪnˈflek.ʃən.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈflek.ʃən.əl/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈflek-sh(ə-)nəl/ (ame, mw)

inflectional — adjective

  • inflectionalpositive
  • more inflectionalcomparative
  • most inflectionalsuperlative

1. relating to the way a word's form changes to show grammatical information like t

1.形容詞C1
釋義

relating to the way a word's form changes to show grammatical information like tense, number, or case, without creating a new word or changing its part of speech

例句

Ms. Okonkwo wrote three inflectional endings on the board: -s, -ed, and -ing.

collocation: inflectional ending

In Old English, the inflectional system was far richer than it is today.

collocation: inflectional system

同義詞
  • flectional

    a rare variant with the same meaning, seldom used outside academic linguistics

反義詞
  • derivational

    describes word-formation processes that create new lexemes, often changing the part of speech

用法筆記

Distinguish from derivational: inflectional changes mark grammar (tense, number) without creating a new word; derivational changes (like -ness, -able) form a different word, often shifting its part of speech.

常見錯誤

❌The suffix -ness in happiness is an inflectional ending.
✅The suffix -ness in happiness is a derivational suffix, not an inflectional one.
💡-ness creates a new noun from an adjective; inflectional endings never change the part of speech.