augmentative
Americanadjective
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serving to augment.
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Grammar. pertaining to or productive of a form denoting increased size or intensity. In Spanish the augmentative suffix -ón is added to a word (as silla “chair”) to indicate increased size, as in sillón “armchair.”
noun
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Grammar. an augmentative element or formation.
adjective
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tending or able to augment
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grammar
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denoting an affix that may be added to a word to convey the meaning large or great; for example, the suffix -ote in Spanish, where hombre means man and hombrote big man
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denoting a word formed by the addition of an augmentative affix
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noun
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grammar an augmentative word or affix
Usage
What does augmentative mean? Augmentative is used to describe things that augment or are intended to augment something—add to it in a way that makes it bigger or better.The general sense of augment is used in a variety of contexts where something is literally or figuratively increased in size, number, shape, value, or quality or in some other way.A process to add something to a material to make it stronger could be described as augmentative. Additional learning materials used by a teacher to supplement the textbook could be described as augmentative.Augmentative is also used in a much more specific way in the context of grammar, but its general sense is much more commonly used.Example: The addition of new materials to the collection is meant to be augmentative—they are not meant to replace the existing items.
Other Word Forms
- augmentatively adverb
- nonaugmentative adjective
- unaugmentative adjective
Etymology
Origin of augmentative
1495–1505; augment + -ative; replacing augmentatif < Middle French
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This same study by Stanford professor Erik Brynjolfsson and his co-authors found that employment has grown in jobs where AI use is augmentative rather than automative.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 5, 2025
Jason sometimes uses an augmentative and alternative communication or AAC device, but it is not his preferred way of communicating — as he can now tell us via the letterboard.
From Salon • Aug. 28, 2024
They advocate for services and support like occupational therapy, speech pathology, and augmentative and alternative communication, especially for those who are nonverbal or need assistance communicating.
From Washington Post • Sep. 19, 2019
We therefore chose to work with the sense of touch instead to communicate augmentative cues.
From Slate • Mar. 22, 2018
The vegetable possesses the qualities of the mineral plus the augmentative virtue or power of growth.
From The Promulgation of Universal Peace by `Abdu'l-Bahá
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.