exploratory

adjective

ex·​plor·​ato·​ry ik-ˈsplȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-ē 

: of, relating to, or being exploration

exploratory surgery

exploratory drilling for oil

Examples of exploratory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This androgynous, liminal realm is the soil from which all of Great Jobs’s tracks blossom, variations on a theme that’s equal parts introspective and exploratory. — Lisle Younger, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026

This exploratory mission proved that the station could successfully support astronaut crews. — Hanneke Weitering, Space.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Silver Cloud primarily sails the Arctic and Antarctica, with more exploratory itineraries in-between, like in the Middle East or Africa. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026

Much of what corporate America spends on AI today funds exploratory pilots, a far cry from commercial deployments that generate measurable productivity gains. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing exploratory

• exploratory surgery

Rhymes for exploratory

• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory
• celebratory
• circulatory
• combinatory
• commendatory
• compensatory
• condemnatory
• confirmatory
• confiscatory

Kids Definition

exploratory

adjective

ex·​plor·​a·​to·​ry

ik-ˈsplōr-ə-ˌtōr-ē, 

-ˌtȯr-

: of, relating to, or being exploration

exploratory drilling for oil

an exploratory trip

exploratory surgery

Medical Definition

exploratory

adjective

ex·​plor·​ato·​ry ik-ˈsplōr-ə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˈsplȯr-, -ˌtȯr- 

: of, relating to, or being exploration

exploratory surgery