DECORATIVE


Meaning of DECORATIVE in English

ˈdek(ə)rəd.iv, -rətiv; ˈdekəˌrād.iv, -ātiv, -ēv also -əv adjective

Etymology: decorate + -ive

1. : of or relating to decoration : serving to decorate: as

a. : having a purely ornamental function

its buildings were utilitarian rather than decorative — Green Peyton

b. of a work of art : producing immediate sensory satisfaction without regard to meaning

to demand that all art be decorative is … a limitation of the material of art — John Dewey

c. : suitable for decorating or embellishing : enhancing in attractiveness

his delight in the use of decorative high-sounding words — Alvin Redman

2.

a. of a dahlia : having flower heads much doubled with quilled rays

b. of a chrysanthemum : having loose open flower heads of quilled, flat, or fluted rays

• dec·o·ra·tive·ly -ə̇vlē, -li adverb

• dec·o·ra·tive·ness -ivnə̇s, -ēv- also -əv- noun -es

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.