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 platform supplemented these options with four multi-camera feeds, an Indian Sign Language feed, and audio descriptive commentary to ensure accessibility for diverse audiences.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025
In other words, assessment insights need to be practical and problem-solving rather than just descriptive.
—Scott Dust, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
The most common type of novel, though, is the one that’s mundanely descriptive of Life During the Pandemic—stories that feel as if they’ve been dredged from the author’s memories of it.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
The script is filled with sharp details — the descriptive stage directions are like passages from a novel.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descriptive
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Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025
In other words, assessment insights need to be practical and problem-solving rather than just descriptive.
—Scott Dust, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
The most common type of novel, though, is the one that’s mundanely descriptive of Life During the Pandemic—stories that feel as if they’ve been dredged from the author’s memories of it.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
The script is filled with sharp details — the descriptive stage directions are like passages from a novel.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descriptive
Cite this Entry
“Descriptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descriptive. Accessed 19 Mar. 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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