Definition of descriptive
- a descriptive account
- the descriptive basis of science
- descriptive cultural studies
- hot in "hot water" is a descriptive adjective
- descriptive linguistics
She gave a descriptive account of the journey.
a talent for descriptive writing
a poem full of descriptive detail
The black cat was given the descriptive name “Midnight.”
The book is a descriptive grammar.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'descriptive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use: 1593
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same year: giving information about how something or someone looks, sounds, etc. : using words to describe what something or someone is like
: providing facts about how a language is actually used rather than rules that tell people how it should be used
See words that rhyme with descriptive Spanish Central: Translation of descriptive Nglish: Translation of descriptive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of descriptive for Arabic speakers
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