define dative
dative noun [C or U]. âº the âform of a ânoun, âpronoun, or âadjective that in some âlanguages âmarks the indirect object of a âverb that has two âobjects. dative adjective uk us âº the dative âcase. adjective uk us. (Definition of dative from the Cambridge Advanced Learnerâs Dictionary & Thesaurus Â© Cambridge University Press).