Isn't "transitive" the wrong word?

[Janice Caron]

On 04/04/2008, Jesse Phillips <jessekphillips at gmail.com> wrote:
> Except when you look at the definition of transitive in the dictionary,
>  "having or containing an object required to complete the meaning." Thus
>  if we have a transitive const then all things inside it must also be
>  const.

What dictionary are you reading? It doesn't say that in Chambers or
Merriam-Websters.

M-W says
  1  : characterized by having or containing a direct object <a
transitive verb> <a transitive construction>
   2  : being or relating to a relation with the property that if the
relation holds between a first element and a second and between the
second element and a third, it holds between the first and third
elements <equality is a transitive relation>
   3  : of, relating to, or characterized by transition


> I see no reason to make changes.

Given that transitive isn't a keyword, there are no changes to make.
(I was just being nitpicky.)

That said, I do suspect that using odd words in discussion or articles
or whatever doesn't help lessen confusion.