informative
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of informative
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English: “formative,” from Medieval Latin infōrmātīvus, from Latin infōrmāt(us) “given form to” (past participle of infōrmāre “to give form to, instruct, shape”; see inform 1) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Use the adjective informative to describe something that gives you some kind of useful information, like an informative book about identifying the mushrooms you find growing wild in the woods near your house. When something is informative, it's usually educational and full of facts — like an informative text book or an informative tour of the Hindu temples of northern India. If you learn a lot from something, you can call it informative. The Latin root of informative is the word informare, which means "to shape, train, instruct, or educate." Something that does those things for you is informative.
Vocabulary lists containing informative
Shape Up: Form
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Keystone Exams: English Composition Glossary
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Speech and Debate
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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.
Informative speech may cover topics such as describing a location, an object, or a person; explaining an idea or how to operate something, a thermostat, for example; or demonstrating how to change a tire.
From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021
"At times, it was must-see TV. Informative on one hand and watch-through-your-fingers funny on the other," wrote The Guardian's Gavin Newsham.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2021
Informative and never boring, this labour of love lays bare a cornucopia of selection biases, misleading data visualizations, machine-learning mishaps and more.
From Nature • Aug. 3, 2020
Informative, nuanced and poignant at times, this story exemplifies journalism at its best for environmental justice.
From Washington Times • Oct. 28, 2018
James Otis: On Writs of Assistance, 1761 Informative and argumentative introductions are quite usual.
From Public Speaking by Stratton, Clarence
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.
