instructive

adjective

in·​struc·​tive in-ˈstrək-tiv 

: carrying a lesson : enlightening

instructively adverb

instructiveness noun

Synonyms of instructive

• informative
• educational
• educative
• instructional
• informational
• illuminating

Examples of instructive in a Sentence

an interesting and instructive lesson

an instructive demonstration of the proper way to pack a suitcase so your clothes don't arrive in a mess

Recent Examples on the Web

Sometimes our body’s machinery for processing alcohol falters in instructive ways. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026

To Brian, films are not instructive models for living but exist purely as aesthetic objects and experiences that can be appreciated entirely in and of themselves. — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026

What is the most instructive lesson for those searching to build copartisanship? — Emily Staunton, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026

International experience suggests the decisive factors are scale, tax incentives and execution, areas for which the US IRA and CHIPS Acts, the EU's Green Deal Industrial Plan and Japan's GX program offer instructive comparisons. — Control Risks, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for instructive

• abductive
• conductive
• constructive
• deductive
• destructive
• inductive
• obstructive
• productive
• reductive
• seductive
• counterproductive
• photoconductive

Kids Definition

instructive

adjective

in·​struc·​tive in-ˈstrək-tiv 

: giving knowledge : helping to instruct or inform

an instructive experience

instructively adverb