descriptive

descriptive — adjective

1. providing a detailed account or picture of what someone or something is like, es

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

providing a detailed account or picture of what someone or something is like, especially by mentioning specific features, qualities, or observations.

Example

A travel guide gave a descriptive account of the market, naming every spice and fabric.

descriptive account of [topic]

Ishaan's essay was so descriptive that I could picture the village clearly.

so descriptive that

Common collocations
  • descriptive writing
  • descriptive passage
  • descriptive detail
  • descriptive language
Synonyms
  • detailed

    focuses on the amount of information included, whereas descriptive emphasises how the information is presented

  • vivid

    stronger in tone, suggesting the description creates a clear mental picture; more emotional than descriptive

  • illustrative

    used specifically to explain or clarify a point, often with concrete examples

Antonyms
  • vague

    lacking specific details or clear qualities

  • nondescript

    having no interesting or distinctive features to describe

Grammar Patterns

descriptive + noun

be + descriptive

so + descriptive + that

Common Mistakes

The book is very descriptive about ancient Rome.
The book describes ancient Rome in great detail.
'descriptive' is an adjective describing the quality of the writing, not a verb phrase; use 'describes in detail' instead.

2. focused on observing and recording how a language or field of study really opera

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

focused on observing and recording how a language or field of study really operates in practice, without issuing guidance on what is correct or proper.

Example

Modern linguistics takes a descriptive approach to grammar rather than a prescriptive one.

descriptive approach vs. prescriptive approach

This dictionary is descriptive in its method, recording how people actually speak.

descriptive in its method

Common collocations
  • descriptive grammar
  • descriptive linguistics
  • descriptive framework
  • descriptive study
  • descriptive approach
Synonyms
  • empirical

    based on observation or experience rather than theory; stronger methodological claim than descriptive

  • observational

    focuses specifically on the method of watching and recording without intervention

  • factual

    concerned with facts, but lacks the specific contrast with prescriptive that descriptive carries

Antonyms
  • prescriptive

    stating rules or norms for how something should be done, rather than describing how it is done

  • normative

    establishing or conforming to a standard or norm, especially in ethics or social sciences

Grammar Patterns

descriptive + noun (approach/grammar/study)

descriptive in + noun (method/approach)

Usage Note

Often contrasted with prescriptive, especially in linguistics and the social sciences. This sense is most common in academic writing and discussion.

Common Mistakes

The teacher gave us descriptive grammar rules to follow.
The linguist's descriptive grammar records how people actually speak.
descriptive grammar does NOT give rules to follow; it observes and records patterns.

Word family

  • describe
    verbB1
  • description
    nounB1
  • descriptively
    adverbC1
  • describer
    nounC2
  • nondescript
    adjectiveC1
  • prescriptive
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words relate to conveying information, but they differ in purpose. Descriptive focuses on giving a detailed account of what something is like, often with sensory or specific details (a descriptive passage about a sunset). Illustrative means serving to clarify or explain, often through examples or visual aids (an illustrative diagram of the water cycle). Expository refers to writing or speech that explains or informs systematically, as in an expository essay, and is more about structured explanation than vivid portrayal. Indicative suggests that something serves as a sign or evidence of a condition or fact (dark clouds indicative of rain), rather than deliberately describing. For learners: use descriptive when you want to paint a picture with words, illustrative when showing an example, expository when explaining step by step, and indicative when pointing to evidence.

descriptive ↗illustrativeexpositoryindicative ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • descriptive account
  • descriptive approach
  • descriptive language
  • descriptive writing

Adverbs

  • highly descriptive
  • purely descriptive
  • merely descriptive
  • strictly descriptive

Phrases

  • descriptive vs. prescriptive
  • descriptive grammar vs. prescriptive grammar

Prepositions

  • descriptive of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Descriptive comes from the Latin word descriptivus, which was formed from describere meaning "to write down" or "to copy". Describere itself is made up of de- ("down") and scribere ("to write"). The word entered English through French in the mid-1700s and originally meant "serving to describe or represent something in detail." Its academic sense — contrasting with prescriptive — developed in the 1800s within the field of linguistics.