abusive

English

Etymology

First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus,[1] from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”).[2] Equivalent to abuse +‎ -ive.

Pronunciation

Adjective

abusive (comparative more abusive, superlative most abusive)

  1. Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. [First attested in the early 17th century.][3]
    • (Can we date this quote?), Samuel Johnson, A dictionary of the English language:
      An abusive lampoon.
  2. (obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent. [Attested only from the early to mid 17th century.][3]
    • (Can we date this quote?), Francis Bacon, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
      An abusive treaty.
  3. (archaic) Given to misusing; also, full of abuses.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Hallam, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
      The abusive prerogatives of his see.
  4. (obsolete) Given to misusing. [Attested only in the mid 17th century.][3]
  5. Being physically injurious; characterized by repeated violence.
  6. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][3]
    • (Can we date this quote?), Fuller, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
      I am ... necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof.
  7. (archaic) Catachrestic. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][3]
  8. (archaic) Full of abuses; practicing abuse; containing abuse, or serving as the instrument of abuse. [First attested in the late 16th century.][3]
    • 1589, Thomas Nashe, The Anatomy of Absurdity:
      ...to begin in this vacation the foundation of a trifling subject which might shroud in his leaves the abusive enormities of these our times.

Synonyms
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Derived terms

Translations
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Translations to be checked

References
  1. Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], →ISBN), page 6
  2. Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 8
  3. “abusive” in Lesley Brown, editor, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 10.

French

Adjective

abusive

  1. feminine singular of abusif

Italian

Adjective

abusive

  1. Feminine plural of adjective abusivo.

Latin

Adjective

abūsīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of abūsīvus

References
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