instructive

adjective

in·​struc·​tive in-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce instructive (audio)
: carrying a lesson : enlightening
instructively adverb
instructiveness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The state of West Virginia is a particularly instructive—and in some ways surprising—case. Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025 Infrastructure overbuild Perhaps the most instructive parallel for today’s AI boom lies in the massive infrastructure overinvestment that preceded the dot-com crash. Dave Smith, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2025 Kautsch and other First Amendment scholars said two Supreme Court cases are instructive. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2025 Obsolescence in industrial real estate is both predictable and instructive. Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for instructive

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of instructive was in 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Instructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instructive. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

instructive

adjective
in·​struc·​tive in-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce instructive (audio)
: giving knowledge : helping to instruct or inform
an instructive experience
instructively adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on instructive

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