communicative
Americanadjective
-
inclined to communicate or impart; talkative.
He isn't feeling very communicative today.
- Synonyms:
- expansive, voluble, loquacious, free-spoken
-
of or relating to communication.
adjective
-
inclined or able to communicate readily; talkative
-
of or relating to communication
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of communicative
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin commūnicātīvus, from commūnicāt(us) “imparted” (past participle of commūnicāre “to impart, make common”; see communicate) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
To be communicative is to have the ability to communicate — to exchange thoughts and ideas. Couples often go to counseling to learn to be more communicative. It's easy to see the verb communicate in the adjective communicative: a communicative person is one who can communicate easily. Being communicative is one of the qualities we most value in other people. There's nothing more frustrating than a person who's not communicative, because you can't talk to them. I'm surprised when others are surprised at how communicative my dog is. Aren't all dogs good at talking to their owners?
Vocabulary lists containing communicative
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Texas v. Johnson (1989)
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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.
"Someone more flexible, more communicative, and more appealing to society -- but such a person does not seem to exist."
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
If anything, it muddled our relationship, the communicative signals of the PetPhone confusing Clover and ultimately making me feel distanced from her.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
One advocate of this approach is author Benny Lewis, who popularized a communicative learning approach he calls “language hacking” which focuses on the language skills needed for conversation.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026
Classical architecture is prized for its communicative capacity, its ability to “speak.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Under the influence of this appreciation of his narrative powers, Mr. Struthers expanded genially and became ever more communicative, if possible.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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.
