transitivity
This term is primarily used in technical registers, specifically within linguistics, mathematics, and formal logic. In linguistics, it describes the structural capacity of a verb to transfer action to an object, distinguishing transitive verbs from intransitive ones. It is a neutral, descriptive term used for grammatical analysis rather than a word for general conversation.
In mathematical and logical contexts, the term describes a specific property of binary relations. It denotes a chain of connectivity where a relationship is preserved across a sequence of elements. Because it refers to an abstract property or a systemic characteristic, it is treated as an uncountable noun and does not typically take a plural form.
Meanings
The property of a verb that allows it to take a direct object.
The linguist analyzed the transitivity of the verb to determine if it required an object to complete its meaning.
In logic and mathematics, the property of a binary relation where if a relation holds between a first element and a second, and between the second and a third, it must also hold between the first and the third.
The transitivity of the equality relation ensures that if A equals B and B equals C, then A must equal C.