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.
"Decorative lighting, garlands are not a priority," Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in early December, instructing citizens to reduce unnecessary consumption.
From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025
Decorative flamboyance or even a sink mounted too high left him dismayed.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2025
The feather sold on Monday was "in wonderful condition", says Leah Morris, Head of Decorative Arts at Webb's Auction House.
From BBC • May 22, 2024
Decorative cutouts of an elephant and a butterfly were on the wall.
From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2024
Decorative hieroglyphic borders were added to the poster-paint pictures that already adorned the walls of the temple.
From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
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.
