Word Study
descriptive
OXFORD DICTIONARY
descriptive, adj.
1 serving or seeking to describe (a descriptive writer).
2 describing or classifying without expressing feelings or judging (a purely descriptive account).
3 Linguistics describing a language without comparing, endorsing, or condemning particular usage, vocabulary, etc.
4 Gram. (of an adjective) describing the noun, rather than its relation, position, etc., e.g. blue as distinct from few.
1 serving or seeking to describe (a descriptive writer).
2 describing or classifying without expressing feelings or judging (a purely descriptive account).
3 Linguistics describing a language without comparing, endorsing, or condemning particular usage, vocabulary, etc.
4 Gram. (of an adjective) describing the noun, rather than its relation, position, etc., e.g. blue as distinct from few.
Derivative
descriptively adv. descriptiveness n.
Etymology
LL descriptivus (as DESCRIBE)
THESAURUS
descriptive
constructional, constructive, definitional, delineative, depictive, diagnostic, exegetic, expositive, expressive, faithful, glottochronological, grammatic, graphemic, graphic, hermeneutic, interpretational, interpretive, lexicographic, lexicological, lexicostatistical, lifelike, lingual, linguistic, metalinguistic, morphological, morphophonemic, naturalistic, philological, phonemic, phonetic, phonological, psycholinguistic, realistic, representative, semantic, semeiological, structural, symptomatological, syntactic, tropological, true to life, vivid, well-drawnROGET THESAURUS
descriptive
Description
N description, account, statement, report, expose, specification, particulars, state of facts, summary of facts, brief, return, catalogue raisonne, guidebook, delineation, sketch, monograph, minute account, detailed particular account, circumstantial account, graphic account, narration, recital, rehearsal, relation, historiography, chronography, historic Muse, Clio, history, biography, autobiography, necrology, obituary, narrative, history, memoir, memorials, annals, saga, tradition, legend, story, tale, historiette, personal narrative, journal, life, adventures, fortunes, experiences, confessions, anecdote, ana, trait, work of fiction, novel, romance, Minerva press, fairy tale, nursery tale, fable, parable, apologue, dime novel, penny dreadful, shilling shocker relator, raconteur, historian, biographer, fabulist, novelist, descriptive, graphic, narrative, epic, suggestive, well-drawn, historic, traditional, traditionary, legendary, anecdotic, storied, described, furor scribendi.For further exploring for "descriptive" in Webster Dictionary Online