intransitive

/ɪnˈtɹænsətɪv/

//ɪnˈtɹænsətɪv// adj

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

"intransitive" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“intransitive” is uncommon English (frequency #65,214 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,214
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not transitive: not having, or not taking, a direct object.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intransitive · intransitive · English

intransitive · rank #65,214 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,214
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH internist

Nearest frequency peer: internist (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “intransitive”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “intransitive” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for intransitive
PropertyValue
Headwordintransitive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈtɹænsətɪv/
Letters12
Frequency rank#65,214
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “intransitive” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).intransitivefalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “internist” (#65,213), “inshallah” (#65,212), “invigorate” (#65,216). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intransitive” is #65,214. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

intransitive is uncommon English at frequency #65,214 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪnˈtɹænsətɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for intransitive in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From in- + transitive. The correct English form is intransitive, spelled I-N-T-R-A-N-S-I-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not transitive: not having, or not taking, a direct object.
  2. 2
    Not transitive or passing further; kept; detained.
  3. 3
    Of a set of dice: containing three dice A, B, and C, with the property that A rolls higher than B more than half the time, and B rolls higher than C more than half the time, but lacking the property that A rolls higher than C more than half the time. See intransitive dice and intransitive game.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how intransitive appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The word "drink" is a transitive verb in "they drink wine", but an intransitive one in "they drink often."
  2. 1664-1667, Jeremy Taylor, Dissuasive from Popery And then it is for the image's sake and so far is intransitive; but whatever is paid more to the image is transitive and passes further.

Etymology

From in- + transitive.

Synonyms

neuternontransitive

Antonyms

transitive

This word in other languages

intransitivo(Español)intransitif(Français)intransitiv(Deutsch)intransitivo(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 "intransitive"?
"intransitive" is spelled I-N-T-R-A-N-S-I-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɹænsətɪv/.
What does "intransitive" mean?
As an adjective, "intransitive" means: Not transitive: not having, or not taking, a direct object.
How do you pronounce "intransitive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intransitive" is /ɪnˈtɹænsətɪv/. 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 "intransitive"?
From in- + transitive. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "intransitive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

impermanence#65,202hypertrophic#65,192megalomaniac#65,302favorability#65,111

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list