Descriptive
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /dɪˈskɹɪptɪv/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Descriptive is an adjective meaning Of, relating to, or providing a description.
Meaning
Of, relating to, or providing a description.
More Meanings
- (grammar) Of an adjective, stating an attribute of the associated noun (as heavy in the heavy dictionary).
- (linguistics) Describing the structure, grammar, vocabulary and actual use of a language.
- (sciences, philosophy) Describing and seeking to classify, as opposed to normative or prescriptive.
- (grammar) An adjective (or other descriptive word)
Example Sentences
He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record.
Word Forms
- descriptives
Synonyms for descriptive
Depending on context, synonyms include synchronic.
Antonyms for descriptive
Common opposites include prescriptive, normative, non-descriptive, diachronic, historical, undescriptive.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include synchronic, indicative, describe, explanatory, illustrative, abstract.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.