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
But the full score is more interesting and instructive than its ending alone.
—
John Avlon, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
But this match was even more instructive.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 25 May 2026
That small moment proves disproportionately instructive to the film’s prevailing ethos, which is most interested in bodies as vehicles for tracing the friction between fluidity and permanence.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
For American collectors — including a growing cohort from Maryland, where private collections increasingly intersect with institutional ambitions in Baltimore and the Washington corridor — the shift is instructive.
—Andrew S. Jacobson, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for instructive
John Avlon, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
But this match was even more instructive.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 25 May 2026
That small moment proves disproportionately instructive to the film’s prevailing ethos, which is most interested in bodies as vehicles for tracing the friction between fluidity and permanence.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
For American collectors — including a growing cohort from Maryland, where private collections increasingly intersect with institutional ambitions in Baltimore and the Washington corridor — the shift is instructive.
—Andrew S. Jacobson, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for instructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructive
Adjective
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Fatty acids showed an opposite but equally informative pattern.—
Gideon Yoffe,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
-
That’s helped set Waymo apart from its much smaller autonomous-vehicle rival, Tesla’s Robotaxi service, which redacts the most informative parts of its safety data and ignores press queries.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Check It Out, 2022, consists of an educational program on anger management that plays on a spherical red television set recalling a space helmet.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Programming includes artmaking, cultural dance, educational sessions and more.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Forbes.com,
1 June 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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But the union has aligned with him on cuts to school police, reduced instructional screen time and cellphone limits for students.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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Lack of reliable access to menstrual products contributes to absenteeism, missed instructional time, and difficulty concentrating in class.—
Gale Brewer,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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This communication is for general informational purposes only.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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The most illuminating Nurse number might be that the Vancouver Goldeneyes outscored opponents 16-5 at five-on-five with Nurse on the ice this season.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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The last episode involved horrifying doll monsters and a very illuminating mushroom trip.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructive. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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