Descriptive definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

descriptive in American English · 1. having the quality of describing; characterized by description. a descriptive passage in an essay · 2. a. Grammar (of an ... EnglishDictionary Thesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Sentences Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists English French German Italian Spanish Portuguese Hindi Chinese Korean Japanese Definitionof 'descriptive'    WordFrequency Share× Credits× descriptive (dɪskrɪptɪv ) adjective Descriptivelanguageorwritingindicateswhatsomeoneorsomethingislike. ...hisdescriptivewayofwriting. Synonyms:graphic,vivid,expressive,picturesque MoreSynonymsofdescriptive COBUILDAdvancedEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Video:pronunciationof descriptive Youmayalsolike EnglishQuizConfusables Synonymsof'descriptive' LanguageLover'sBlog FrenchTranslationof'descriptive' Translateyourtext PronunciationPlaylists Wordoftheday:'waldsterben' HindiTranslationof'descriptive' NEWfromCollins! EnglishGrammar CollinsApps WordFrequency descriptiveinBritishEnglish (dɪˈskrɪptɪv ) adjective1. characterizedbyorcontainingdescription;servingtodescribe 2. grammar (ofanadjective)servingtodescribethereferentofthenounmodified,asforexampletheadjectivebrownascontrastedwithmyandformer 3. relatingtoorbasedupondescriptionorclassificationratherthanexplanationorprescription descriptivelinguistics CollinsEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Derivedformsdescriptively(deˈscriptively)adverb descriptiveness(deˈscriptiveness)noun WordFrequency descriptiveinAmericanEnglish (dɪˈskrɪptɪv ) adjective describing;oforcharacterizedbydescription;specif.,a.  designatingorofabranchofascienceinwhichitsdataormaterialsaredescribedandclassified descriptiveanatomy b. Grammar designatinganadjectivethatindicatesaqualityorconditionofthepersonorthing namedbytheworditmodifies “big”in“bigbarn”isadescriptiveadjective Webster’sNewWorldCollegeDictionary,4thEdition.Copyright©2010by HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.Allrightsreserved. Derivedformsdescriptively(deˈscriptively) adverb descriptiveness(deˈscriptiveness) noun WordFrequency descriptiveinAmericanEnglish (dɪˈskrɪptɪv) adjective1. havingthequalityofdescribing;characterizedbydescription adescriptivepassageinanessay 2. a. Grammar(ofanadjectiveorothermodifier) expressingaqualityoftheworditmodifies,asfreshinfreshmilkComparelimiting b. (ofaclause) nonrestrictiveComparerestrictive(sense4) 3. noting,concernedwith,orbaseduponthefactorexperience 4. characterizedbyorbasedupontheclassificationanddescriptionofmaterialina givenfield descriptivebotany Mostmaterial©2005,1997,1991byPenguinRandomHouseLLC.Modifiedentries©2019 byPenguinRandomHouseLLCandHarperCollinsPublishersLtd Derivedformsdescriptivelyadverb descriptivenessnoun Wordorigin[1745–55;‹LLdēscrīptīvus,equiv.toLdēscrīpt(us)(seedescription)+-īvus-ive] Examplesof'descriptive'inasentence descriptive Theseexampleshavebeenautomaticallyselectedandmaycontainsensitivecontent.Readmore… Hisdescriptivelanguageisdeceptivelysimpleandprofoundlyevocative.Times,SundayTimes(2010)Addtothat,hisdescriptivepowersofplace.Times,SundayTimes(2015)Ifinddialoguequiteeasybutdescriptivepassagesharder.TheSun(2016)Thedescriptivewritingisbland.Times,SundayTimes(2012)That,inpassing,producessomefinedescriptivewriting.Times,SundayTimes(2007)Ihavecontinuedtouseitbecauseitisoneofthefewdescriptivetermsthathasnotbeen"redefined"inpsychiatricdictionaries.Randolph,TheronG.&Moss,RalphW.(contributor)AnAlternativeApproachtoAllergies(1990)Whenreadingtogether,askquestionssuchas'Whatistheeffectofhavingalongdescriptivepassagehere?Times,SundayTimes(2012)Thethemeofsharedsecretmemoriesunfoldslikeapeeledonion,framedbydescriptivepassagesofruralFranceasvividaspaintings.Times,SundayTimes(2007) COBUILDCollocations descriptive  descriptivelanguage descriptivename descriptivepassage descriptiveprose descriptiveterm descriptivetext descriptivetitle descriptiveword descriptivewriting Trendsof descriptive Viewusagefor: AllYears Last10years Last50years Last100years Last300years Inotherlanguages descriptive BritishEnglish:descriptive ADJECTIVE/dɪˈskrɪptɪv/Descriptivelanguageorwritingindicateswhatsomeoneorsomethingislike....hisdescriptivewayofwriting.AmericanEnglish:descriptive /dɪsˈkrɪptɪv/BrazilianPortuguese:descritivo Chinese:描述的EuropeanSpanish:descriptivo French:descriptif German:deskriptiv Italian:descrittivo Japanese:記述的Korean:기술적인EuropeanPortuguese:descritivo LatinAmericanSpanish:descriptivo Translateyourtextforfree Browsealphabetically descriptive descries description descriptionapplies descriptive descriptivebibliography descriptivecataloging descriptiveclause AllENGLISHwordsthatbeginwith'D' Relatedtermsof descriptive descriptiveclause descriptivename descriptiveprose descriptiveterm descriptivetext Viewmorerelatedwords Source DefinitionofdescriptivefromtheCollinsEnglishDictionary ReadabouttheteamofauthorsbehindCollinsDictionaries. NewfromCollins QuickwordchallengeQuizReviewQuestion:1 - Score:0/5 knew or new?Whichversioniscorrect?They'vejustopenedaknewhotelnearby.They'vejustopenedanewhotelnearby.coarse or course?Whichversioniscorrect?Thepathleddowntoabeachofcoarsesand.Thepathleddowntoabeachofcoursesand.sang or sung?Whichversioniscorrect?Hehasdancedandsangonthetelly.Hehasdancedandsungonthetelly.rap or wrap?Dragthecorrectanswerintothebox. wrap rapDonnadecidedto thepresentsbeforesheleft.sew or sow?Dragthecorrectanswerintothebox. Sow Sew theseedsinearlyMarch.Yourscore:CheckSeetheanswerNextNextquizReview Mar21,2022 Wordoftheday waldsterben thesymptomsoftreedeclineincentralEuropefromthe1970s,consideredtobecausedbyatmosphericpollution SEEFULLDEFINITION SEEPREVIOUSWORDS Signupforournewsletter Getthelatestnewsandgainaccesstoexclusiveupdatesandoffers Signmeup LatestWordSubmissions doxa Mar16,2022 jackalope Mar15,2022 stresslaxing Mar14,2022 pitchy(sense) Mar14,2022 ViewMoreSubmit BritishScienceWeek2022:TalkingaboutGrowth! ForBritishScienceWeek,atCollinsDictionaries,wefindtherearelotsofwonderfulwordswecanusetotalkaboutgrowth. Readmore FASHION!6subcultures&trendstowatchoutforin2022 Tocelebratebrand-newdesignscominghotofftherunway,wetakeafreshlookatsomeofthemostpopularfashionsubculturesandtrends. Readmore WorldHearingDay Thursday3MarchisWorldHearingDay.Thisisanannualeventtopromoteawarenessofhearinglossandadvocateformeasurestoavoidit. Readmore CollinsEnglishDictionaryApps DownloadourEnglishDictionaryapps-availableforbothiOSandAndroid. Readmore CollinsDictionariesforSchools Ournewonlinedictionariesforschoolsprovideasafeandappropriateenvironmentforchildren.Andbestofallit'sadfree,sosignupnowandstartusingathomeorintheclassroom. Readmore Wordlists Wehavealmost200listsofwordsfromtopicsasvariedastypesofbutterflies,jackets,currencies,vegetablesandknots! Amazeyourfriendswithyournew-foundknowledge! Readmore Scrabblescorefor'descriptive':19 WordleHelper StuckatWordle?Tryourhelpertomaintainyourcurrentstreak! QuickwordchallengeQuizReviewQuestion:1 - Score:0/5 beach or beech?Whichversioniscorrect?Wesetoffforadayatthebeach.Wesetoffforadayatthebeech.populace or populous?Whichversioniscorrect?Shewasgreatlyrespectedbythelocalpopulace.Shewasgreatlyrespectedbythelocalpopulous.who's or whose?Dragthecorrectanswerintothebox. Who's Whose there?tea or tee?Whichversioniscorrect?Wouldyoulikesometea?Wouldyoulikesometee?berth or birth?Dragthecorrectanswerintothebox. berth birthTheyachthasonlyone .Yourscore:CheckSeetheanswerNextNextquizReview Fairies&folklore:someofliterature’smostfamousforests InhonouroftheInternationalDayofForests,CollinsDictionarydecidedtoexploresomeofliterature’smostfamousforests.Let'stakeastroll! 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