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
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The move comes after staff at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia removed interpretive panels about slavery from the President’s House historical site.—
Outside,
Outside,
28 Jan. 2026
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The cultural site was acquired by the city of Poway in 1987 as a way to preserve archeological features on the knoll, said Yoly Cohen, an interpretive park ranger in Poway’s Community Services Department.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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There are various interpretative signs and points of interest along the way, including famous Creek Street and both Ketchikan museums.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
9 Jan. 2026
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With her powerful voice and hypnotic interpretative quality, Peluso seems tailor-made for this.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This information including any specific securities mentioned is for educational, entertainment and illustrative purposes only and not a recommendation or solicitation to purchase or sell any individual security.—
David Thomas,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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But the decision was illustrative of the confidence, or lack thereof, Houston had in its offense.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Your first thought might be that the purpose of each room is self explanatory—kitchen is for cooking, bedroom is for sleeping, living room is for relaxing or entertaining—but Guest encourages homeowners to dig deeper.—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Jan. 2026
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Her vision for the network’s future involves not just breaking news but also explanatory journalism, investigations, and collaborations with personalities who have grown their own audiences online.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explicative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explicative. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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