[1620–30; infuse + -ive]This word is first recorded in the period 1620–30. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: contact, grommet, midshipman, plug, settlement-ive is a suffix of adjectives (and nouns of adjectival origin) expressing tendency, disposition,function, connection, etc. Other words that use the affix -ive include: active, corrective, detective, passive, sportive