descriptive
adjective
de·scrip·tive
di-ˈskrip-tiv 
1
: presenting observations about the characteristics of someone or something : serving to describe
a descriptive account
2
a
: referring to, constituting, or grounded in matters of observation or experience
the descriptive basis of science
b
: factually grounded or informative rather than normative, prescriptive, or emotive
descriptive cultural studies
3
of a modifier
a
: expressing the quality, kind, or condition of what is denoted by the modified term
hot in "hot water" is a descriptive adjective
b
4
linguistics
: of, relating to, or dealing with the structure of a language at a particular time usually with exclusion of historical and comparative data
descriptive linguistics
descriptively
adverb
descriptiveness
noun
Examples of descriptive in a Sentence
She gave a descriptive account of the journey.
a talent for descriptive writing
a poem full of descriptive detail
The black cat was given the descriptive name “Midnight.”
The book is a descriptive grammar.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lynch, who has died just a few days shy of his 79th birthday, was so extraordinary that fairly early in his career, his last name became the foundation of a descriptive adjective.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025
Bleak would be a nice descriptive word to use when considering that 11% are disqualified as overweight, 8% for drug abuse and 4% due to mental health issues.
—Lonnie Groot, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2025
My descriptive passages that were intended only for the artist are famously long-winded, and sometimes go on for pages for a single panel.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 3 Jan. 2025
To become adaptable to emerging trends, expand beyond descriptive analytics and pilot AI for predictive purposes such as developing flexible business development strategies.
—Gaurav Tewari, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descriptive 
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Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025
Bleak would be a nice descriptive word to use when considering that 11% are disqualified as overweight, 8% for drug abuse and 4% due to mental health issues.
—Lonnie Groot, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2025
My descriptive passages that were intended only for the artist are famously long-winded, and sometimes go on for pages for a single panel.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 3 Jan. 2025
To become adaptable to emerging trends, expand beyond descriptive analytics and pilot AI for predictive purposes such as developing flexible business development strategies.
—Gaurav Tewari, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descriptive
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Words for Dictionary Supernerds
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Cite this Entry
“Descriptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descriptive. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
descriptive
adjective
de·scrip·tive
di-ˈskrip-tiv
: serving to describe
a descriptive account
a descriptive adjective
descriptively
adverb
descriptiveness
noun
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