descriptive
adjective
de·scrip·tive
di-ˈskrip-tiv 
1
: presenting observations about the characteristics of someone or something : serving to describe
a descriptive account
2
a
: referring to, constituting, or grounded in matters of observation or experience
the descriptive basis of science
b
: factually grounded or informative rather than normative, prescriptive, or emotive
descriptive cultural studies
3
of a modifier
a
: expressing the quality, kind, or condition of what is denoted by the modified term
hot in "hot water" is a descriptive adjective
b
4
linguistics
: of, relating to, or dealing with the structure of a language at a particular time usually with exclusion of historical and comparative data
descriptive linguistics
descriptively
adverb
descriptiveness
noun
Examples of descriptive in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
This is just descriptive data taken from a small number of schools.
—
Christopher J. Ferguson, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
Lee said features like descriptive search, image search—which is driving two-times higher conversion and making users four-times more likely to purchase—and style chat empower customers to effortlessly find styles by describing them, uploading inspirational images, or even creating full outfits.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 8 May 2025
This wooden potting bench took 45 minutes for two people to assemble, and the instruction manual proved to be helpful, offering descriptive steps and time-saving labels.
—Megan Newton, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 May 2025
Users can generate coherent narratives using a single reference image and descriptive prompts, allowing for consistent outputs from various angles.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descriptive
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Christopher J. Ferguson, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
Lee said features like descriptive search, image search—which is driving two-times higher conversion and making users four-times more likely to purchase—and style chat empower customers to effortlessly find styles by describing them, uploading inspirational images, or even creating full outfits.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 8 May 2025
This wooden potting bench took 45 minutes for two people to assemble, and the instruction manual proved to be helpful, offering descriptive steps and time-saving labels.
—Megan Newton, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 May 2025
Users can generate coherent narratives using a single reference image and descriptive prompts, allowing for consistent outputs from various angles.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descriptive
Cite this Entry
“Descriptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descriptive. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
descriptive
adjective
de·scrip·tive
di-ˈskrip-tiv
: serving to describe
a descriptive account
a descriptive adjective
descriptively
adverb
descriptiveness
noun
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