presentative

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Latin praesentativus (“that presents for consideration”) + English -ive (suffix signifying belonging or relating to, of the nature of, serving to, or tending to, forming adjectives). Praesentativus is from Latin praesentātus (“presented, exhibited, or shown”) + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives); while praesentātus is the perfect passive participle of praesentō (“to present, exhibit, or show”), from praesēns (“at hand, present; existing; immediate; prompt; propitious; (grammar) present”) (the present active participle of praesum (“to be before something; to be in charge of; to command, lead; to preside or rule over”), from prae- (prefix meaning ‘before, in front; in charge’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- (“before; in front”)) + sum (“to be, exist, have”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”))) + -tō (frequentative suffix). The English word is analysable as present + -ative. The noun sense (“construct that serves to present something, or draw it to the attention of the interlocutor”) is derived from adjective sense 3 (“serving to present something, or draw it to the attention of the interlocutor”).

adj

1. Presenting, or able to represent, an idea in the mind.
   Now the face is a traditional metonym for divine presence in Jewish theology and, in its human form, the presentative image of God. 2003, Melissa Raphael, “Holiness in Extremis: Jewish Women’s Resistance to the Profane in Auschwitz”, in Stephen C. Barton, editor, Holiness: Past and Present, London, New York, N.Y.: T&T Clark, part 4 (Holiness and Contemporary Issues), page 382
2. (ecclesiastical law) Of a benefice, or the advowsons, tithes, etc., associated with a benefice: that a patron has the right to present.
3. (grammar) Serving to present something, or draw it to the attention of the interlocutor.
4. (metaphysics, psychology) Of or pertaining to a presentation (“an image formed in the mind after an object is perceived”).
5. (obsolete)
   1. Synonym of representative (“representing another, or representing a larger group”)
      [T]hat diſloyal Maxime, that the body of the State is above the King, is contradicted by the ordinary ſtyle of their papers preſented to the King by his Body: The Two Houſes [of Parliament] moſt humbly beſeech their Soveraign Lord the King, and they qualifie themſelves, the moſt humble and Loyal ſubjects of his Majestie, ’tis the Preſentative Body of the Kingdome who ſpeaks, and nothing by way of Complement but Duty: […] 1659, [Pierre Du Moulin], “Declaring wherein the Legislative Powers of Parliament Consists”, in [Matthew Playford], transl., The History of the English & Scotch Presbytery.[…], Villa Franca [actually London: […] s.n.], →OCLC, page 72
   2. (rare) Of or pertaining to an act of presenting or giving an object to someone.

noun

1. (grammar) A construct that serves to present something, or draw it to the attention of the interlocutor.