[ad. L. ēnuntiātīv-us, f. ēnuntiāre: see ENUNCIATE.]
1. That serves to enunciate; predicative; declaratory. Const. of.
1531. Elyot, Gov., III. xxv. Yet be their warkes compacte in fourme of narrations whiche by oratours be called enunciatiue.
c. 1555. Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (1878), 219. These enunciative words do not prove them man and wife.
1628. T. Spencer, Logick, 160. An enuntiatiue speech is either simple, or compounded of those that be simple.
1654. Jer. Taylor, Real Pres., 74. And if these words … be exegetical, and enunciative of the change that is made by prayers and other mystical words.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 306. In respect of the dispositive Words of an Instrument, and not in regard of the enunciative Terms thereof.
1816. Bentham, Chrestom., 41. The simply enuntiative parts of the propositions will serve by themselves.
1862. F. Hall, Hindu Philos. Syst., 284. The words … are more directly enunciative of the doctrine.
† b. Gram. (See quot.) Obs.
c. 1620. A. Hume, Brit. Tongue (1865), 33. The conjunction enunciative coples the partes of a period…. The ratiocinative couples the parts of a ratiocination.
† c. Of a command: Explicit, express. Obs.
1664. H. More, Synopsis Proph., 534. His absolute and enunciative command.
† 2. Of the nature of outward expression. Obs.
1655–60. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 480/1. As to Enunciative discourse … there are some Dogmatists who condemn it, as contrary to Virtue; whence they kept silence.
1656. Jeanes, Mixt. Schol. Div., 63. Here by the word is understood, not the word enunciative [L. prolativum], the word written or preach’t, But the Word substantiall: And the word was God.
3. Pertaining to vocal utterance or elocution.
1832. Fraser’s Mag., III. 485. Time had palsied your strength and weakened your enunciative powers. Ibid. (1850), XLI. 449. He gave scope to the extraordinary enunciative powers of Bannister.
Hence Enunciatively adv., in an enunciative manner; declaratively.
1637. Gillespie, Eng.-Pop. Cerem., IV. vii. 32. It is not a thing indifferent, to omit the repetition of those words, This is my body, enunciatively and demonstratively.
