as in interpretive
serving to explain
a dearth of explicative material to help the layman understand the difficult subject matter
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explicative
While Clarkson was amazed by her skills, Parton was able to slip in an explicative on daytime television.
—
Vulture, 21 Dec. 2022
Much of the dialogue is obvious and explicative; young Bode sometimes sounds like a middle-aged professor.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2020
There are periodic explicative orations about the state of the nation.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2019
Video posted on the Twitter feed of Robin Bell shows the explicative term in question emblazoned across the wall of the hotel, backed by a cascade of poop emojis.
—Michelle Hunter, NOLA.com, 14 Jan. 2018
Vulture, 21 Dec. 2022
Much of the dialogue is obvious and explicative; young Bode sometimes sounds like a middle-aged professor.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2020
There are periodic explicative orations about the state of the nation.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2019
Video posted on the Twitter feed of Robin Bell shows the explicative term in question emblazoned across the wall of the hotel, backed by a cascade of poop emojis.
—Michelle Hunter, NOLA.com, 14 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explicative
Adjective
-
Visitors will find access to an interpretive center, a visitor center, the Craig House, an 18th-century farmhouse, picnic tables and playgrounds.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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Some comments submitted in response to the administration’s solicitation flagged interpretive changes that officials might now seek to undo — and in dozens of cases already have, according to one group.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Emmie’s condition is an interpretative riddle for both her parents and the reader.—
Giles Harvey,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Will the academy troll Chalamet (and the rest of us) with an interpretative dance performance?—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Winslow Homer’s The Morning Bell (originally The Old Mill, pictured above) is illustrative of this distinction in art.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
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Golinger pointed to NextEra Energy as an illustrative example of how the dynamics can compound over time.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Now the castle is in ruins (though with explanatory signage), with hiking paths, a museum, and a 1,200-foot pedestrian suspension bridge that sways 300 feet above the valley floor.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
8 June 2026
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The strangest glitch was the way the supposedly reddish color of the opening and closing words of Blade Runner 2049’s opening explanatory text took on a distinctly brown tone.—
John Archer,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explicative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explicative. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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