as in interpretive
serving to explain
a dearth of explicative material to help the layman understand the difficult subject matter
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explicative
While Clarkson was amazed by her skills, Parton was able to slip in an explicative on daytime television.
—
Vulture, 21 Dec. 2022
Much of the dialogue is obvious and explicative; young Bode sometimes sounds like a middle-aged professor.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2020
There are periodic explicative orations about the state of the nation.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2019
Video posted on the Twitter feed of Robin Bell shows the explicative term in question emblazoned across the wall of the hotel, backed by a cascade of poop emojis.
—Michelle Hunter, NOLA.com, 14 Jan. 2018
Vulture, 21 Dec. 2022
Much of the dialogue is obvious and explicative; young Bode sometimes sounds like a middle-aged professor.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2020
There are periodic explicative orations about the state of the nation.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2019
Video posted on the Twitter feed of Robin Bell shows the explicative term in question emblazoned across the wall of the hotel, backed by a cascade of poop emojis.
—Michelle Hunter, NOLA.com, 14 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explicative
Adjective
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An illustrative example of this approach is the joint initiative of the UN and Remesh, implemented in 2021, with an AI powered platform.—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
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Poems by 96 area poets are paired with illustrative drawings by 40 visual artists in this exhibition, representing a community view on social justice issues.—
Caroline Ritzie,
The Enquirer,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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Of all the various isms proposed to capture Trump’s ideology, social Darwinism has perhaps the most explanatory power.—
Erik Baker,
Harpers Magazine,
18 June 2025
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That by itself seemed innocuous, and thus the prosecutor (who did not have easy access to the explanatory data) was unable to explain to the judge why the office had decided to seek confinement.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explicative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explicative. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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