decorative
adjective
dec·o·ra·tive
ˈde-k(ə-)rə-tiv 
ˈde-kə-ˌrā-
: serving to decorate
especially
: purely ornamental
decoratively
adverb
decorativeness
noun
Examples of decorative in a Sentence
We added some decorative details to the room.
The handles are decorative and practical.
Recent Examples on the Web
Shimmering with German Expressionist style—and reams of decorative cellophane—the film features Olivia de Havilland at the very start of her career, as Hermia, alongside James Cagney, as Bottom, and a fourteen-year-old Mickey Rooney, as Puck.
—
Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Her work is not purely decorative.
—Erin Parish, Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Guests enter through Gymkhana’s signature green doors into a bar and lounge done in rich greens and decorative cut-glass chandeliers.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 4 Dec. 2025
The photos also show a space with a chair resembling one used in dental offices, with decorative masks hanging on the wall.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decorative
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Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Her work is not purely decorative.
—Erin Parish, Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Guests enter through Gymkhana’s signature green doors into a bar and lounge done in rich greens and decorative cut-glass chandeliers.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 4 Dec. 2025
The photos also show a space with a chair resembling one used in dental offices, with decorative masks hanging on the wall.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decorative
Cite this Entry
“Decorative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decorative. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decorative
adjective
dec·o·ra·tive
ˈdek-(ə-)rət-iv
ˈdek-ə-ˌrāt-
: serving to decorate : ornamental
decoratively
adverb
decorativeness
noun
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