unaccusative

This term is a specialized piece of linguistic terminology used primarily in generative grammar and syntax. It describes a specific class of intransitive verbs where the subject is not an agent but rather the entity affected by the action, such as in the sentence "The vase broke."

In academic discourse, it is frequently contrasted with unergative verbs, where the subject is an active agent (e.g., "She ran"). Misusing this term in a general context would be perceived as overly technical or jargon-heavy, as it belongs strictly to the register of formal linguistic analysis.