suggestive

adjective

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sug·ges·tive | \ səg-ˈje-stiv

, sə-ˈje- \

Definition of suggestive

1a : giving a suggestion : indicative suggestive of a past era

b : full of suggestions : stimulating thought provided a suggestive … commentary on the era— Lloyd Morris

c : stirring mental associations : evocative

2 : suggesting or tending to suggest something improper or indecent : risqué

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Examples of suggestive in a Sentence

making unwelcome suggestive remarks to a subordinate will be regarded as sexual harassment a haunting and suggestive song about a long-lost love

Recent Examples on the Web The man approached a woman working at a business in Phoenix on Tuesday at 8 a.m., and grabbed her while making suggestive comments, according to a press release from the Phoenix Police Department. — Ryan Vlahovich, azcentral, "Police looking for man involved in sexual assault in Phoenix," 16 May 2020 The evidence is highly suggestive that the outbreak is associated with exposures in one seafood market in Wuhan. — Laurie Garrett, The New Republic, "How Trump and Xi set the stage for the coronavirus pandemic," 2 Apr. 2020 The update to Instagram has made its ban of suggestive material strikingly transparent. — Jason Parham, Wired, "The Future of Sex Work Slams Up Against Big Tech," 13 Dec. 2019 Estrada’s attorney argued Morris’ testimony was highly suggestive and unfairly implied that his client was involved in the shooting. — Los Angeles Times, "A homicide detective’s dishonesty was kept secret for years. Now it could upend criminal cases," 19 Sep. 2019 Aly is an earnest, tireless compiler of the often arcane or overlooked, yet there is something raw, never quite finished, if always usefully suggestive, in his approach. — Steven J. Zipperstein, New York Times, "What Were the Origins of the Holocaust?," 7 Apr. 2020 In 2018 a group of string theorists took a series of suggestive results and argued that this difficulty reflected an impossibility—that perhaps inflation just cannot happen in the theory. — Brendan Z. Foster, Scientific American, "Will String Theory Finally Be Put to the Experimental Test?," 25 Mar. 2020 High sprays of foam tossed into the air and the wind was heavy with the damp, suggestive smell of fish. — Janet Malcolm, The New York Review of Books, "Lovesick," 24 Mar. 2020 Rhetoric calling for walls and barriers is countered in Cinto’s world with a web of viaducts and any number of pathways suggestive of unity, open borders and inclusiveness. — John Zotos, Dallas News, "‘Landscape of a Lifetime’ mural at the Dallas Museum of Art offers a mesmerizing walk through our universe," 11 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suggestive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

22 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Suggestive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suggestive. Accessed 25 May. 2020.

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More Definitions for suggestive

suggestive

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of suggestive

: bringing thoughts, memories, or feelings into the mind

: showing or seeming to show something

: causing or tending to cause sexual feelings or excitement

See the full definition for suggestive in the English Language Learners Dictionary

suggestive

adjective

sug·ges·tive | \ səg-ˈje-stiv

, sə-ˈje- \

Kids Definition of suggestive

1 : giving a hint The furniture is suggestive of the past.

2 : full of suggestions I read a suggestive book about decorating.

3 : suggesting something improper or indecent

suggestive

adjective

sug·ges·tive | \ sə(g)-ˈjes-tiv

Medical Definition of suggestive

1 : serving to indicate a butterfly-shaped red rash…is highly suggestive of the disease— S. E. Goldfinger et al

2 : tending to act like or have the effect of suggestion

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suggestive

adjective

sug·ges·tive

Legal Definition of suggestive

: giving a suggestion or making a hint: as

a : being a trademark, trade dress, trade name, or service mark that requires the consumer to use thought and imagination to perceive the nature of the product or service

Note: Suggestive marks are entitled to trademark protection without proof of secondary meaning.

b : relating to or being a lineup that in some way suggests to the witness which member of the lineup is in fact the defendant

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