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Glite Dictionary
🌫️ Without a goal 🔤 No direct object
objectless

objectless

7.6
A verb that does not need something after it
  • adjective
  • /ˈɑbdʒɛktləs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : intransitivo
  • In the sentence 'Birds fly,' the verb is objectless because it does not require an object.

Examples

  • The verb 'sleep' is objectless.

  • Many verbs in English can be either transitive or objectless depending on the context.

  • The teacher explained that 'arrive' is always objectless in English grammar.

  • Intransitive verbs are often objectless.

  • Many verbs in English can be objectless, as they do not require a direct object to complete their meaning.

  • She smiled broadly, providing an objectless response that conveyed her happiness.

  • Intransitive verbs are often objectless, such as when the subject performs an action without affecting an object.

Synonyms

intransitive
vsobjectless
  • Specialized
1 7.2

Not followed by a noun showing who or what the verb affects

extends application beyond verbs to clauses and sentences

Antonyms

transitive
  • Specialized
4 7.0

A verb that needs an object to show who or what gets the action

Surface Forms

objectless positive

Morphology

objectless = object (transparent) = object + less

The grammatical meaning 'not taking a direct object' is a direct application of 'without an object' via the suffix '-less'.

Etymology

Objectless comes from object, the 'thing' that receives an action in a sentence, and the ending -less, meaning 'without'. So in grammar an objectless verb or sentence is one 'without' that receiving 'thing', as in 'Birds fly' which has no object.