descriptive

adjective

de·scrip·tive di-ˈskrip-tiv

Synonyms of descriptive next

: presenting observations about the characteristics of someone or something : serving to describe

a descriptive account

: referring to, constituting, or grounded in matters of observation or experience

the descriptive basis of science

: factually grounded or informative rather than normative, prescriptive, or emotive

descriptive cultural studies

of a modifier

: expressing the quality, kind, or condition of what is denoted by the modified term

hot in "hot water" is a descriptive adjective

: nonrestrictive

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 Each meal appears as a little card with a photo of the finished dish and a descriptive tag when relevant—Calorie Smart, Easy, Gourmet, Quick, Hall of Fame. —

PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024 However, since these observers were often unfamiliar with classical texts that had previously described the aurora, these chroniclers used a greater variety of descriptive terms to refer to the same phenomenon, which in turn provides contemporary scientists with more clues about the aurora. —

Kim Beil, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 The descriptive setup instructions are a blessing when putting this one together. —

Katrina Cossey, Parents, 1 Mar. 2024 This is a seismic shift from descriptive statistics to predictive analytics and prescriptive actions. —

Alon Goren, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 His work included the development of the vividly descriptive Schmidt sting pain index as a means of comparing the effects of insect venom. —

Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024 The new names will aim to be more descriptive either about the birds' habitats or physical characteristics. —

Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Jan. 2024 Stories with emotions and descriptive sensory elements are more likely to resonate. —

G. Riley Mills, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The beautiful catalogue produced by the Japanese American National Museum has an essential essay on Samoan tattoo motifs with descriptive design charts. —

Brian T. Allen, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'descriptive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see describe

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of descriptive was in 1593

See more words from the same year

Articles Related to descriptive

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Words for Dictionary Supernerds

As with all specialized fields, those involved in dictionary making employ terms in their work that most other people never encounter. If you’re a dictionary supernerd, you might be interested to know them.