as in interpretive
serving to explain
illuminative descriptions of the sights to be seen from the observatory gave us a much better idea of what we were looking at
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Recent Examples of illuminative
Hybrid lanterns that meet the aforementioned criteria are indeed out there, waiting to illuminate your next campsite, glamping trip, picnic, late-night reading session, or simply to add a little illuminative flare to that embarrassingly barren bookshelf in time for the next Zoom meeting.
—
J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 17 Feb. 2022
Along the way, Robbins spices his story through illuminative moments and mini-biographies.
—OregonLive.com, 14 Oct. 2017
J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 17 Feb. 2022
Along the way, Robbins spices his story through illuminative moments and mini-biographies.
—OregonLive.com, 14 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illuminative
Adjective
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Walking through the exhibit, visitors can read interpretive panels detailing the lives of key figures in Yuba-Sutter’s Black history.—
Velvet Wu
June 16,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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His father worked at the fort in its early years, and Medina himself spent three seasons repairing its adobe walls before joining the interpretive staff.—
Kevin Strong,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Most of these interpretative moves work fine because they’re thought through and balanced by other moves.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
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Emmie’s condition is an interpretative riddle for both her parents and the reader.—
Giles Harvey,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The $4,500 out-of-pocket maximum in the prompt is illustrative — the legal in-network ceiling is $9,250 in 2026.—
Eve Cunningham,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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Winslow Homer’s The Morning Bell (originally The Old Mill, pictured above) is illustrative of this distinction in art.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illuminative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illuminative. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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