DESCRIPTIVE


Meaning of DESCRIPTIVE in English

adj.

Pronunciation: di- ' skrip-tiv

Function: adjective

Date: 1723

1 : 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 : NONRESTRICTIVE

4 : 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>

– de · scrip · tive · ly adverb

– de · scrip · tive · ness noun

Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary.      Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка.