⏸️ Interrupting flow ✏️ About punctuation

punctuative

8.3

Happening at intervals that break a continuous flow

adjective
/ˈpʌŋk.tʃu.eɪ.tɪv/

: interrumpido

Her speech was punctuative, with frequent pauses for emphasis.

Examples

The silence in the library was punctuative, broken only by the occasional turning of a page.
Rain fell in a punctuative pattern, starting and stopping throughout the afternoon.
The punctuative pauses in her speech emphasized the main points.
He used a punctuative tone to draw attention to his argument.
Rain fell in a punctuative pattern, starting and stopping throughout the afternoon.
The silence in the library was punctuative, broken only by the occasional turning of a page.
Her speech was punctuative, with frequent pauses for emphasis.

Synonyms

interruptive

vspunctuative

1 6.5

Causing a short break in activity or attention

is periodic and signals a change rather than only breaking flow

Antonyms

continuous

141 3.7

Without a break or gap, for example in a curve

uninterrupted

28 4.2

Continuing without stopping or being disturbed

How Intermittent

occasional

285 2.8

intermittent

35 6.5

punctuative

8.3

frequent

234 1.0

continuous

141 3.7

Surface Forms

punctuative positive

Morphology

punctuative = punctuate (transparent) = punctuate + ive

The adjective is directly formed from the verb 'punctuate' with the productive suffix '-ive', so learners who know 'punctuate' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The word punctuative comes from the Latin root punct meaning 'point' or 'prick', the same root as the word punctuate. So something that is punctuative makes small 'points' or stops that break a flow or happen at intervals.