invasive

English
WOTD – 25 October 2021

Etymology
PIE word
*h₁én

The adjective is derived from Middle English invasif (“of a weapon: offensive”),[1] from Middle French invasif, Old French invasif (“invasive”) (modern French invasif), from Medieval Latin invāsīvus, from Latin invāsus (“entered; invaded”) + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives).[2] Invāsus is the perfect passive participle of invādō (“to enter; to invade”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside’) + vādō (“to go; to rush; to walk”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weh₂dʰ- (“to go, proceed; to pass, traverse”)).

The noun is derived from the adjective.

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ɪnˈveɪsɪv/, /-zɪv/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Hyphenation: in‧vas‧ive

Adjective

invasive (comparative more invasive, superlative most invasive)

  1. Of or pertaining to invasion; offensive.
    • 1593, Tho[mas] Nashe, “The Arrainment and Execution of the Third Letter”, in The Apologie of Pierce Pennilesse. Or, Strange Newes, of the Intercepting Certaine Letters: […], London: […] Iohn Danter, […], OCLC 222196160; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Strange Newes, of the Intercepting Certaine Letters […] (Miscellaneous Tracts; Temp. Eliz. and Jac. I), [London: s.n., 1870], OCLC 906587369, page 52:
      The Spanyards called their invaſive fleete againſt England the Navie Invincible, yet it was overcome.
    • c. 1596, William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene i]:
      Oh inglorious league: / Shall we vpon the footing of our land, / Send fayre-play-orders, and make comprimiſe, / Inſinuation, parley, and baſe truce / To Armes Inuaſiue?
    • 1643, William Prynne, “[The Third Part of the Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes. To the Reader]”, in The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes: […], London: […] Michael Sparke Senior, OCLC 22720680:
      […] The Parliaments Forces, neither would, nor lawfully might in point of Law or Conſcience forcibly reſiſt or repulſe their invaſive Armes, without danger or High Treaſon and Rebellion, […]
    • 1650, Edward Coke; Thomas Ireland, compiler, “St. Johns Case. 34. El. Banco Regis. fol. 71.”, in An Exact Abridgment in English, of the Eleven Books of Reports of the Learned Sir Edward Coke, […], London: […] M. Simmons, for Matthew Walbancke, […], and H. Twyford […], OCLC 1179504517, book V, page 209:
      [T]he Sheriffe, or any of his Officers, for the better execution of Juſtice, may carry handguns or other weapons invaſive or defenſive, […]
  2. (military, also figuratively) That invades a foreign country using military force; also, militarily aggressive.
    • 1858, Thomas Carlyle, “Brannibor: Henry the Fowler”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], OCLC 156109991, book II, page 70:
      He managed to get back Lorraine; made truce with the Hungarians, who were excessively invasive at that time. Truce with the Hungarians; and then, having gathered strength, made dreadful beating of them; two beatings,—one to each half, for the invasive Savagery had split itself, for better chance of plunder; […]
  3. (by extension)
    1. Intrusive on one's privacy, rights, sphere of activity, etc.
      Antonym: uninvasive
      • 2008 October, Leanne Smith, chapter 21, in Silent Mysteries: Discover the Mystery of Kara …, Chepachet, R.I.: Leanne Elise Smith, →ISBN, page 396:
        It's wrong of me to ask such an invasive question when I keep so many secrets hidden from you.
    2. Originating externally.
    3. (biology) Of an animal or plant: that grows (especially uncontrollably) in environments which do not harbour natural enemies, often to the detriment of native species or of food or garden flora and fauna.
      Antonyms: noninvasive, non-invasive
      an invasive species
    4. (medicine, surgery) Of a procedure: involving the entry of an instrument into part of the body.
      Antonyms: noninvasive, non-invasive
      • 1995, Constantine T. Frantzides, Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Surgery, St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby, →ISBN, page 135:
        The natural evolution of minimally invasive surgery has taken the surgeon to new heights and has extended the breadth of laparoscopic surgery to include procedures of the colon.
    5. (pathology) Of a carcinoma or other abnormal growth: that invades healthy tissue, especially rapidly.
      • 1982, William W. Bonney and George R. Prout, Jr., editors, Bladder Cancer: American Urological Association Seminar on Bladder Cancer, Chicago, Illinois, April 1980 (AUA Monographs; 1), Baltimore, Md.: Williams & Wilkins, →ISBN, page 162:
        Two patients developed cancer in the upper urinary tract, and 3 eventually developed invasive cancer.

Derived terms

Translations
of or pertaining to invasion — see offensive
of a procedure: involving the entry of an instrument into part of the body

Noun

invasive (plural invasives)

  1. (biology) An invasive organism, such as an animal or plant.
    • 2005, Barbara J. Euser, “A Place for Invasives?”, in Barbara J. Euser, editor, Bay Area Gardening: 64 Practical Essays by Master Gardeners, Palo Alto, Calif.: Solas House, Travelers’ Tales, →ISBN, page 174:
      Is there ever a time to plant invasives—plants that are known to spread—in the garden? I believe the answer is a qualified "yes." There is never a time to plant exotic, that is non-native, invasives. Exotic invasives such as pampas grass and French and Scottish broom were sold by local nurseries in the past, before their destructive nature was understood. […] Native invasive plants are another story: there are situations in which they can be both practical and desirable.

Translations

References
  1. “invāsī̆f, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. Compare “invasive, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2019; “invasive, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

French

Adjective

invasive

  1. feminine singular of invasif

German

Pronunciation
  • Audio(file)

Adjective

invasive

  1. inflection of invasiv:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

invasive f pl

  1. feminine plural of invasivo

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

invasive

  1. definite singular of invasiv
  2. plural of invasiv

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

invasive

  1. definite singular of invasiv
  2. plural of invasiv
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