Relating to, characterized by, or causing dissimilation; tending to make things dissimilar.
From Latin dissimilativus, formed from dissimilate with the -ive suffix. The -ive suffix creates an adjective meaning 'having the quality of' or 'tending to.' This technical adjective is most used in linguistics and biology.
The dissimilative forces in language are powerful—they're part of why no two dialects of English sound identical and why language constantly changes, as speakers naturally reduce repetitive sounds and patterns.
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