indicative

adjective

in-ˈdi-kə-tiv How to pronounce indicative (audio)
Definition of indicativenext
as in reflective
indicating something a wide-eyed look that is indicative of his constant curiosity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of indicative The artist and computer scientist Judith Donath said that the trend is indicative of people only engaging with the half of their technology that is immediately appealing and apparent. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 Many people had no idea OpenAI was considering bringing ads to ChatGPT, so the punchline landed flat—perhaps indicative of the wider cultural disconnect between Silicon Valley and everyone else. — Harry Booth, Time, 17 July 2026 This is indicative of the company’s overall commitment to transparency, fairness in sourcing, and product integrity. — William Jones, USA Today, 16 July 2026 So things like how your heart rate and heart rate variability respond after a period of stress is indicative of cumulative stress. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for indicative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indicative
  1. reflective
  2. characteristic
Adjective
  • According to the announcement, the semi-acoustic record draws inspiration from reflective touchstones in Young’s catalog such as Comes a Time and Prairie Wind, with lyrics that grapple with memory, mortality and renewal.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Caltrans has been slowly removing those 1960s-era signs with the letter studded with reflective dots and replacing them with newer ones.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of reflective
Adjective
  • Although antineutrinos rarely interact with matter, physicists can identify them through a characteristic double-light signal that distinguishes them from background radiation.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The facial fat pads that create fullness in the cheeks and temples sometimes shrink faster than skin can retract, producing a characteristic hollowing and laxity.
    — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of characteristic

Browse Nearby Words

indications
indicative
indicator
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Indicative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indicative. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on indicative

Nglish: Translation of indicative for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All