copulative

Copulative is an adjective with several related senses centered on the idea of linking or joining. It derives from Latin copulatus, from copula, meaning a tie or bond. In linguistics and grammar, the term is most often used to describe things associated with a copula—the word or element that links the subject of a sentence to a subject complement.

In linguistics, a copula is typically a form of the verb to be in languages like English, used to connect subject and predicate: The sky is blue. Some languages and constructions use other verbs such as seem, become, or appear as copular verbs. A sentence that uses such a linking element is described as copulative, and the linking verb is referred to as a copular verb. The copula expresses existence, identity, or attribute rather than an action.

In biology and related fields, copulative or copulative relates to copulation, the act of sexual union, and to anatomical structures involved in mating, such as copulatory organs. In this sense, the term is a descriptive modifier for processes or anatomy associated with mating.

Usage notes: copulative is a formal term and may appear in linguistic or anatomical writing. In many modern grammar discussions, the term copular is more common when referring to the linking verbs themselves and to copular constructions. Nonetheless, copulative remains a standard descriptor for things that bind or connect elements in language or biology.