the mind > mental capacity > belief > expressed belief, opinion > [adjective]
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > insecure knowledge, uncertainty > questionable state or quality > [adjective] > based on opinion
c1450 ( J. Walton tr. Boethius (Linc. Cathedral 103) 25 (MED) The epicurus and þe stoycienus..drew his wordes to þaire entencioun Of þeire opinatiue felicite.
a1500 tr. A. Chartier (Rawl.) (1974) 100 (MED) Also bewarre and follow not all thin owne willes and opinative [v.r. opynatyfes] hopes; For he that followith his owne propre counceile puttith from himself the counceill of othir men.
1588 J. Harvey 16 A probable surmize, and opinitiue collection.
1593 T. Bilson Pref. 25 The coniecturall and opinative ghesses of some.
1610 J. Healey tr. St. Augustine v. xix. 225 He that contemneth their opinatiue praise, contemneth also with it, their vnaduised suspect.
1656 T. Stanley II. v. 16 All this part of things they called Opinative [printed Opimative]; Science they affirmed to be no where in the Reasons and Notions of mind.
1816 J. Bentham 6 Judicially augmented will natural honour be by two conjunct and correspondent appropriate judicial decrees; the first opinative, the other imperative.
1829 J. Bentham iii. 181 Opinative [functions], exercised by declaration made of opinion.
1939 4 43 It seems to me that a sign is a semeiotic interpretandum which is in addition opinative; that is, it begets opinion.
1951 C. J. Ducasse iii. xvi. 361 The symbol does not cause us to believe it or to take towards it any other opinative attitude.
1990 D. J. O'Meara tr. Proclus in ii. viii. 186 A distinction must also be made between psychic essential number..and the empirical or ‘opinative’ number.
