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
- communicatively adverb
- communicativeness noun
- noncommunicative adjective
- noncommunicatively adverb
- noncommunicativeness noun
- overcommunicative adjective
- semicommunicative adjective
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”; 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.
Classical architecture is prized for its communicative capacity, its ability to “speak.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
It points scientists toward the underlying cognitive and communicative forces that shape human language.
From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026
Going forward, with these friends or any others, I’d err on the side of being overly communicative.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 28, 2026
Stroll is far from the most communicative or amenable of F1 drivers with the media.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2025
Frodo did not prove very communicative, and he soon found himself sitting alone in a corner, listening and looking around.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
