as in informative
providing useful information or knowledge
an instructive demonstration of the proper way to pack a suitcase so your clothes don't arrive in a mess
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Recent Examples of instructive
The security community’s response was instructive.
—
Evan Johnson, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026
The failures are instructive, too.
—Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The late-1990s dot-com boom is instructive.
—Perrie M. Weiner, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
As some seek to erase the history of slavery from our public sites and to reject the ideal of equality, Howells’s change of heart is instructive.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instructive
Evan Johnson, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026
The failures are instructive, too.
—Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The late-1990s dot-com boom is instructive.
—Perrie M. Weiner, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
As some seek to erase the history of slavery from our public sites and to reject the ideal of equality, Howells’s change of heart is instructive.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructive
Adjective
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But ChatGPT was designed to be sycophantic, not informative.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 May 2026
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His answer was yes, but that current accounts are most informative when read alongside gross capital flows, currency exposures, leverage, and the composition of external assets and liabilities.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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District 86 officials recently approved the hiring of Josh McMahon, who currently lives with his family in District 86 and works as assistant superintendent for educational programs at Morton High School District 201 in Berwyn and Cicero.—
Chuck Fieldman,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
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Kino Lorber is planning an awards season theatrical release this Fall followed by a digital, educational, and home video release.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps most consequential in this move will be the expansion of the states’ authority and responsibility for educative quality within their jurisdictions.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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While apples-to-apples comparisons aren’t possible, a look at the streaming businesses is educative for identifying longer-term trends.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The largest portions of school budgets go to instructional costs such as teacher salaries, student services, and school operations, not to central administration.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Since then, the school’s social work and human services program has used the money to hire an instructional assistant, create brochures, update learning material for students and host community information sessions, professor Brandy Jones-Thomas said.—
Tarini Mehta,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will host the third in a series of informational meetings about nuclear power for the public on May 13.—
Krisztian Elcsics,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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For Jay Li, a Chinese national who arrived in the first, 2017 class after attending the University of Rochester and working for the NBA in New York, a sojourn to Suzhou in Eastern China near Shanghai was especially illuminating.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
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After all, this month energizes your fifth house of creativity, romance and self-expression in a way that feels both exciting and illuminating.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructive. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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