avertive
|a-ver-tive|
🇺🇸
/əˈvɝtɪv/
🇬🇧
/əˈvɜːtɪv/
causing avoidance / turning away
Etymology
'avertive' is an English formation from the verb 'avert' + the adjectival suffix '-ive' (from Latin '-ivus'). 'Avert' ultimately comes from Latin 'advertere' (see below).
'Avert' derives from Latin 'advertere' (to turn toward/away), passed into Old French (avertir/avertir- forms) and Middle English as 'averten'/'avert', and the modern English adjective 'avertive' was formed by adding the suffix '-ive' to 'avert'.
Initially related to 'turning away' or 'diverting' (the literal sense of 'advertere'); over time the sense specialized to 'causing avoidance' or 'preventive/warding off' in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
something (often a stimulus or action) that causes avoidance; an avertive stimulus or agent.
In the experiment, loud noise functioned as an avertive to discourage the behavior.
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Adjective 1
causing avoidance or tending to produce avoidance behavior; used especially in psychology to describe stimuli or responses that lead an organism to avoid something.
The study examined the patient's avertive responses to social situations.
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Adjective 2
serving to avert or prevent something; tending to turn aside or ward off an outcome.
They implemented avertive measures to reduce the risk of flooding.
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Last updated: 2025/12/01 22:40