ablative case

Alternative forms

• (abbreviation): Abl.

Noun

ablative case (plural ablative cases)

1. (grammar) A noun case used in some languages to indicate movement away from something, removal, separation. In English grammar, it corresponds roughly to the use in English of prepositions "of", "from", "away from", and "concerning". In Latin grammar, the ablative case (cāsus ablātīvus) includes functions derived from the Indo-European ablative, instrumental, comitative, associative and locative cases; these cases express concepts similar to those of the English prepositions "of"/"from", "by", "with", "to"/"with", and "at"/"in", respectively. Here/hence/hither, there/thence/thither, and where/whence/whither are the only English words with separate forms for the ablative (motion away from) and lative (motion towards) cases.