instructive

adjective

in·​struc·​tive in-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce instructive (audio)
Synonyms of instructivenext
: carrying a lesson : enlightening
instructively adverb
instructiveness noun

Examples of instructive in a Sentence

an interesting and instructive lesson an instructive demonstration of the proper way to pack a suitcase so your clothes don't arrive in a mess
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the full score is more interesting and instructive than its ending alone. John Avlon, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026 But this match was even more instructive. Michael Cox, New York Times, 25 May 2026 It is called the SPAC boom, and its results are instructive. Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026 That small moment proves disproportionately instructive to the film’s prevailing ethos, which is most interested in bodies as vehicles for tracing the friction between fluidity and permanence. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for instructive

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of instructive was in 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Instructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instructive. Accessed 28 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

instructive

adjective
in·​struc·​tive in-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce instructive (audio)
: giving knowledge : helping to instruct or inform
an instructive experience
instructively adverb

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