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instructive

adjective

in-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce instructive (audio)
Definition of instructivenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of instructive Sometimes our body’s machinery for processing alcohol falters in instructive ways. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 To Brian, films are not instructive models for living but exist purely as aesthetic objects and experiences that can be appreciated entirely in and of themselves. — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 Marquette Law School’s polling has been instructive for candidates in the region. — Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 The pros and cons of longevity calculators For older Americans who might be underestimating their longevity, a life expectancy calculator can provide an instructive lesson. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructive
  1. informative
  2. educational
  3. educative
  4. instructional
  5. informational
  6. illuminating
Adjective
  • Service was relaxed, attentive and informative, each course explained on arrival.
    — Adrienne Wyper, TheWeek, 17 Sep. 2026
  • If Syracuse can stop giving away possessions, this becomes an informative early ACC game.
    — Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of informative
Adjective
  • The event will feature an educational component, where SNAHC’s own traditional health practitioner Sage LaPena will discuss where different elements of the meal are harvested, as well as some of their health benefits.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • This is especially true for students from educational contexts where academic writing was not part of their training.
    — Saurabh Anand, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of educational
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of educative
Adjective
  • The district’s overall instructional framework, Cowtown 12, is followed district-wide.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Parental consent will be required for AI use and the district will have to offer an alternative, non-AI instructional tool similar in instructional quality if a parent does not allow their child to use AI.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of instructional
Adjective
  • Quantum information is a very current vogue, and a lot of people turn the question of interpretation into quantum informational notions.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
  • This article is provided for informational and advertising purposes only.
    — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of informational
Adjective
  • Now, however, the boutique physical media label Fun City Editions has released a superb Blu-ray of the film, featuring both a gorgeous restoration and illuminating supplements.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
  • But is a more illuminating idea missing from his account of American sophistication, one that perhaps most neatly distinguishes it from older European kinds?
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of illuminating

Browse Nearby Words

instructions
instructive
instructor
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Cite this Entry

“Instructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructive. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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