ablative

/ˈæb.lə.tɪv/

//ˈæb.lə.tɪv// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"ablative" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ablative” is uncommon English (frequency #65,664 among 35,202 “A” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,664
frequency rank, English
35,202
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Applied to one of the cases of the noun in some languages, the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away, and to a lesser degree, instrument, place, accordance, spec...

Key facts for ablative
PropertyValue
Headwordablative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈæb.lə.tɪv/
Letters8
Frequency rank#65,664
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ablative” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). ablative lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ablative is uncommon English at frequency #65,664 among 35,202 “A” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈæb.lə.tɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for ablative, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ablative, ablatife, ablatyf, ablatif, from Old French ablatif (“the ablative case”), from Latin ablātīvus (“expressing removal”), from ablātus (“taken away”), from auferō (“I take away”). The engineering/nautical sense originates from ab… The correct English form is ablative, spelled A-B-L-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Applied to one of the cases of the noun in some languages, the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away, and to a lesser degree, instrument, place, accordance, specifications, price, or measurement.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to taking away or removing.
  3. 3
    Sacrificial, wearing away or being destroyed in order to protect the underlying material, as in ablative paints used for antifouling, or ablative heat shields used to protect spacecraft during reentry. .
  4. 4
    Relating to the removal of a body part, tumor, or organ.
  5. 5
    Relating to the erosion of a land mass; relating to the melting or evaporation of a glacier.

Etymology

From Middle English ablative, ablatife, ablatyf, ablatif, from Old French ablatif (“the ablative case”), from Latin ablātīvus (“expressing removal”), from ablātus (“taken away”), from auferō (“I take away”). The engineering/nautical sense originates from ablate + -ive.

This word in other languages

ablativo(Español)ablatif(Français)ablativisch(Deutsch)ablativo(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ablative"?
"ablative" is spelled A-B-L-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæb.lə.tɪv/.
What does "ablative" mean?
As an adjective, "ablative" means: Applied to one of the cases of the noun in some languages, the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away, and to a lesser degree, instrument, place, accordance, spec...
How do you pronounce "ablative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ablative" is /ˈæb.lə.tɪv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "ablative"?
From Middle English ablative, ablatife, ablatyf, ablatif, from Old French ablatif (“the ablative case”), from Latin ablātīvus (“expressing removal”), from ablātus (“taken away”), from auferō (“I take away”). The engineering/nautical sense originat... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “ablative”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-B-L-A-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæb.lə.tɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list