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
The exhibition catalogue is prefaced by a poetic yet sharply descriptive text by Giulia Ruberti, which gives just one version of the stories that some of the works might depict, with their protagonists named by single initials.
—
Michael Bracewell, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
There was a recent kerfuffle online as a bunch of creatives shot down a report that Netflix has writers write overly descriptive dialogue in case viewers are watching something passively (e.g. folding laundry, checking email).
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
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
See all Example Sentences for descriptive 
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Michael Bracewell, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
There was a recent kerfuffle online as a bunch of creatives shot down a report that Netflix has writers write overly descriptive dialogue in case viewers are watching something passively (e.g. folding laundry, checking email).
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
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
See all Example Sentences for descriptive
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Cite this Entry
“Descriptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descriptive. Accessed 11 Feb. 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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