English

Adjective

exercitive ‎(comparative more exercitive, superlative most exercitive)

1. (pragmatics) Having the character of an exercitive act.

Noun

exercitive ‎(plural exercitives)

1. (pragmatics, hermeneutics) A speech act in which a decision is made regarding action; examples include orders and grants of permission.
   • 1962, J.L. Austin, How To Do Things With Words, 1965 Oxford paperback ed. edition, page 154:

     An exercitive is the giving of a decision in favour of or against a certain course of action, or advocacy of it.

   • 1999, Jeffrey A. Mason, The Philosopher's Address: Writing and the Perception of Philosophy, ISBN 0739100718, page 51:

     Exercitives are not so common. Philosopher-authors are rarely in the position to tell people what to do or think.

   • 2003, Mary Kathryn McGowan, “Conversational Exercitives and the Force of Pornography”, in Philosophy & Public Affairs, volume 31, number 2, pages 155-189:

     The hearer's recognition of the speaker's locutionary intention is also an important felicity condition of Austinian exercitives.

Coordinate terms

References

• Cheng Xinghua Applied Linguistics Foreign Language Press Beijing:2008