descriptive

CEFRC1

/dɪˈskɹɪptɪv/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Giving information about what someone or something is like.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Describing the structure, grammar, vocabulary and actual use of a language.

Examples

  • The following descriptive analysis was derived from over 1500 closely-monitored questionnaires.

  • This is a command, not truly a descriptive sentence.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
1

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Of an adjective, stating an attribute of the associated noun (as heavy in the heavy dictionary).

  2. Of, relating to, or providing a description.

  3. Describing and seeking to classify, as opposed to normative or prescriptive.

More examples

In context

  • We can thank the intrepid sailors of yore for these wildly descriptive terms.

  • He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record.

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Her blank writing painted a vivid picture of the bustling market.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Latin dēscriptīvus (“containing a full description”).