I've

¹ American

[ahyv] / aɪv /

contraction of I have.

-ive ² American

a suffix of adjectives (and nouns of adjectival origin) expressing tendency, disposition, function, connection, etc..

active; corrective; destructive; detective; passive; sportive.

-ive ¹ British

suffix

(forming adjectives) indicating a tendency, inclination, character, or quality

divisive
prohibitive
festive
massive
( forming nouns of adjectival origin )

detective
expletive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

I've ² British

/ aɪv /

contraction

I have

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

See contraction.

Etymology

Origin of -ive

< Latin -īvus; in some words, representing French -ive, feminine of -if

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I’ve been sitting down with my partner for money meetings for years.

From The Wall Street Journal

Here’s what I’ve learned about hosting a successful chat.

From The Wall Street Journal

“As an Italian and European, I’ve always been lucky because my generation was never involved in a war,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I’ve basically modeled my whole look and style after you,” Carpenter gushes when she and Piggy finally meet in the recent special.

From Salon

“I’ve offered to consult on culinary needs for future seasons. The question is, will the budget for culinary consultant come out of the smoked salmon budget?”

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023