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Glite Dictionary
precative

precative

9.9
To make a humble, urgent request, often like a prayer
  • adjective
translation icon : precativo
  • Her tone became precative as she pleaded for understanding.

Examples

  • The ancient text contains several precative formulas intended to invoke divine favor.

  • His tone was precative as he pleaded for forgiveness.

  • In liturgical language, a precative mood is used when making prayers or petitions.

  • She made a precative gesture to ask for help.

  • In liturgical language, a precative mood is used when making prayers or petitions.

  • Her tone became precative as she pleaded for understanding.

  • His tone was precative as he pleaded for forgiveness.

Synonyms

pleading
vsprecative
1 4.1

Asking for something in a strong, emotional way

focuses on the act of requesting rather than the emotional display
precatory
vsprecative
9.9

Expressing a wish or request rather than a command

is the general adjective for an earnest request or supplication
supplicatory
vsprecative
  • Formal
9.9

Asking for help in a humble, urgent way

is a neutral term for earnest requests without the prayer tone
beseeching
vsprecative
  • Formal
6.1

Showing a strong, urgent request for help or forgiveness

describes earnest asking without necessarily sounding urgent or desperate
imploring
vsprecative
6.1

Asking for help in a strong, pleading way

covers earnest appeals more broadly, not only highly urgent ones
adjuratory
vsprecative
  • Formal
9.9

To ask people seriously and strongly to do or stop something

is centered on humble requests and not on formal commands

How Entreating

imploring
6.1
precative
9.9
pleading
1 4.1

Surface Forms

precative positive

Morphology

precative = precate (semi-transparent) = precate + ive

Formed from the rare/archaic verb 'precate' + the productive adjective suffix '-ive'; the derivation is regular but the base is obscure to most learners.

Etymology

Precative comes from the Latin verb precari, which means 'to pray' or 'to beg'. So precative describes words or a tone that asks or pleads, like a 'prayer' or an earnest request.