emotive

adjective

emo·​tive i-ˈmō-tiv 

1

: of or relating to the emotions

2

: appealing to or expressing emotion

the emotive use of language

3

chiefly British : causing strong emotions often in support of or against something

… the latest proposal aimed at breaking a long-running deadlock over the emotive issue of whaling …

—Tom Pfeiffer

emotively adverb

emotivity

i-ˌmō-ˈti-və-tē 

ˌē-ˌmō-

noun

Examples of emotive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Viola Davis brings emotive narration to a searing documentary about the effort to curb Black infant mortality called The Ebony Canal. —Eric Deggans, NPR, 7 Aug. 2025

Improvements have been made while preserving the transparent and emotive sound of the original P100 that so many people seemed to love. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025

Over the past dozen years in Nashville, Rose, now 30, has transformed her initial excitement into a profound, emotive passion. —Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

In the Nineties, McLachlan’s style of emotive pop nestled alongside grunge and West Coast hip-hop on the charts, providing a comforting alternative to far more in-your-face music. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for emotive

• promotive
• automotive
• locomotive
• electromotive
• motive
• votive