projective adjective. [prǝ'dʒɛktɪv] M17.
[from PROJECT verb + -IVE.]
1. That projects or can project; of, pertaining to, or marked by projection. M17.

2. spec. In Geometry etc., of, pertaining to, or produced by the projection of lines or figures on a surface. In Psychology, mentally projecting or projected. L17.
Special collocations: projective geometry the branch of geometry that deals with projective properties. projective plane Math. a two-dimensional manifold which is a spherical shell with all pairs of antipodal points identified. projective property a property (of a figure) which remains unchanged after projection. projective space Math. a space obtained by taking a vector space of the next higher dimension, identifying all vectors which are multiples of one another, and omitting the origin. projective test Psychology a test designed to reveal unconscious elements of personality by asking a person to respond freely to words, pictures, etc., placed before him or her. projective verse a type of free verse seeking to replace traditional ideals of poetic form with open or natural structures.

■ projectively adverb L19.

■ projec'tivity noun (rare) E20.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲