DESCRIPTIVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does descriptive mean? 

• DESCRIPTIVE (adjective)
  The adjective DESCRIPTIVE has 2 senses:

1. serving to describe or inform or characterized by description

2. of or relating to an approach to linguistic analysis that aims at the description of a language's forms, structures and usage

  Familiarity information: DESCRIPTIVE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DESCRIPTIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Serving to describe or inform or characterized by description

Context example:

a descriptive passage

Antonym:

undescriptive (not successful in describing)

Derivation:

describe (to give an account or representation of in words)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Of or relating to an approach to linguistic analysis that aims at the description of a language's forms, structures and usage

Context example:

descriptive grammar

Domain category:

linguistics (the scientific study of language)

Antonym:

prescriptive (pertaining to giving directives or rules)

 Context examples 

A descriptive characterization of the size of the left cardiac ventricle.

(Left Ventricle Size, Qualitative, NCI Thesaurus)

A brief description given for purposes of identification; an identifying or descriptive marker that is attached to an object.

(Label, NCI Thesaurus)

One kilonewton per centimeter squared is descriptive of the amount of force exerted in a particular area.

(Kilonewton per Centimeter Squared, NCI Thesaurus)

It provides a single query interface to curated sequence and descriptive information about genetic loci.

(LocusLink, NCI Thesaurus)

An official descriptive name of a message.

(Message Title, NCI Thesaurus)

Descriptive histopathologic term for renal disease without an inflammatory component.

(Nephropathy, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A method of obtaining descriptive parameters having physiological significance from plots whose points at various times are computed from dynamic scan data and possibly also tracer blood sampling.

(Multiple Time Graphical Analysis, NCI Thesaurus)

The children of MIN NOS are descriptive designations without biological implications

(Mouse MIN NOS, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

A descriptive term that is used in anatomic pathology and refers to the gritty appearance of the cut surface of a specimen.

(Gritty Cut Surface, NCI Thesaurus)

Ecologic, natural history, or descriptive studies.

(Genetics (Treatment) Level of Evidence: 4, NCI Dictionary)