Attributiveness

/əˈtrɪbjətɪvnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being attributive; the characteristic of functioning as an attribute or modifier.

Etymology

From 'attributive' plus '-ness' suffix indicating a state or quality. Creates an abstract noun from an adjective, as is standard in English.

Kelly Says

The 'attributiveness' of a word is how much it naturally functions as a direct modifier—some adjectives love being attributive ('famous painter') while others prefer predicative positions ('the painter is famous'). It's a deep grammatical preference baked into words themselves!

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