verb
inflect
in-FLEKT/ɪnˈflekt/
To change a word's form to express grammatical information.
In English, we inflect most nouns by adding a plural ending.
Etymology
Bending inward became a figurative image for changing or altering something. In grammar, the thing altered is a word's form, especially its ending, to show its grammatical function.
In context
verbs inflect in english for three reasons and those three reasons are number person and tense
More examples
- She inflects the verb "walk" as "walked" to indicate past time.
- The verb "go" is inflected irregularly: its past tense is "went."
- Latin inflects nouns to show their role in a sentence.
Forms
inflect · inflects · inflected · inflecting
inflection noun — A word-form change that expresses grammatical information.
inflectional adjective — Relating to grammatical changes in word forms.