Definition

This word describes something that does not change form to express different grammatical features, such as tense or number.

Example

In linguistics, a noninflectional word remains the same regardless of its grammatical role.

Conversation

I was reading about language features, and I came across the term noninflectional words.

Oh really? What does that mean exactly?

It refers to words that don’t change form for tense or number, like some adverbs.

That’s interesting! I didn’t know there were noninflectional words in English.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Noninflectional → It is formed from "non-" (meaning not) and "inflection" (from Latin "inflectere", meaning to bend or change). The word describes a grammatical form that does not change or bend in its structure, indicating a lack of inflection.

Memory Tip

Think of 'non-' meaning 'not' and 'inflection' referring to a change in form — so noninflectional means something that does not change its form.

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