Deletive

/dɪˈliːtɪv/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or serving to delete; having the quality or function of removing or erasing.

Etymology

From English delete with the suffix -ive (meaning 'tending to' or 'relating to'). This is a productive adjective formation, following patterns like 'creative' or 'productive,' though deletive is less commonly used.

Kelly Says

The word deletive is technically correct but sounds awkward compared to deleting or deletion—it shows that not all grammatically possible words survive in a language; some formations just feel wrong to native speakers.

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