adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of decorative
Explanation
Things that are decorative have no purpose except to look pretty. Blueberry bushes produce fruit that humans and birds can eat, while boxwood shrubs are purely decorative. The fake buttons on your winter coat are just decorative — then again, your high heeled shoes are more decorative than useful, and your jewelry and makeup is also decorative. The knickknacks on your mantel, the wreath on your front door, and the creepy doll collection in your living room are all decorative as well. These things dress up or ornament your home, and decorative comes from the Latin root decorare, "to decorate, adorn, or beautify."
Vocabulary lists containing decorative
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Novack’s tip if you can’t find someone who wants your piano: Hire an artist to take it apart and turn it into something new, either furniture or decorative art.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
If local potters had simply copied the decorative appearance, the underlying construction would instead reflect familiar Tampa Bay practices such as sand tempering.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
The Dutch paint company said the agreements with Nippon Paint encompass its decorative paints business in seven countries: Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Australia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The men argued that they purchased the candy specifically for the decorative designs and paid a premium for products they would not otherwise have bought.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
Ahead, he turned off the path and entered through the double doors of a massive building whose four corners were adorned with decorative cupolas.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
