ambitransitive

Ambitransitive is a term in linguistics for verbs that can be used both transitively and intransitively without a change in form. An ambitransitive verb can take a direct object in some sentences and appear without an object in others, with the argument structure and sometimes the semantics adapting accordingly. In many cases the intransitive use has an implied object, or the verb participates in a middle or inchoative sense, while the transitive use introduces a patient or theme.

Common English ambitransitives include break, eat, open, run, finish, and dry. Example pairs illustrate the contrast: The glass broke. He broke the glass. The cat ate. She ate an apple. The door opened. She opened the door. He runs. He runs a company. The work finished. She finished the work. The clothes dried. She dried the clothes.

Ambitransitivity is linked to diachronic and synchronic changes in argument structure and is often discussed alongside related notions such as causative-inchoative alternations, middle voice, and labile predicates. In some languages, ambitransitive predicates are associated with a flexible voice system that marks the relation between the action and its participants, while in others the distinction is largely syntactic and derived from word order and context. Research in this area covers typological patterns, historical change, and the semantic factors that allow a single verb to carry both transitive and intransitive meanings.