gerundive

/dʒəˈɹʌndɪv/

//dʒəˈɹʌndɪv// noun

"gerundive" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gerundive” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A verbal adjective that describes obligation or necessity, equivalent in form to the future passive participle.

Key facts for gerundive
PropertyValue
Headwordgerundive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dʒəˈɹʌndɪv/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gerundive” sits in English frequency

gerundive falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gerundive is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /dʒəˈɹʌndɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

gerundive has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin gerundīvum (“gerundive”), from gerundium (“gerund”), from gerundus (“which is to be carried out”), future passive participle (gerundive) of gerō (“carry, bear”). The correct English form is gerundive, spelled G-E-R-U-N-D-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A verbal adjective that describes obligation or necessity, equivalent in form to the future passive participle.
  2. 2
    A verbal adjective ending in -ing, also called a "present participle".

Etymology

From Latin gerundīvum (“gerundive”), from gerundium (“gerund”), from gerundus (“which is to be carried out”), future passive participle (gerundive) of gerō (“carry, bear”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gerundive"?
"gerundive" is spelled G-E-R-U-N-D-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dʒəˈɹʌndɪv/.
What does "gerundive" mean?
As a noun, "gerundive" means: A verbal adjective that describes obligation or necessity, equivalent in form to the future passive participle.
How do you pronounce "gerundive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gerundive" is /dʒəˈɹʌndɪv/. 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 "gerundive"?
From Latin gerundīvum (“gerundive”), from gerundium (“gerund”), from gerundus (“which is to be carried out”), future passive participle (gerundive) of gerō (“carry, bear”). 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 “gerundive”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-E-R-U-N-D-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dʒəˈɹʌndɪv/ (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
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