emotive

American  

[ih-moh-tiv] / ɪˈmoʊ tɪv /

adjective

1. characterized by or pertaining to emotion.

   the emotive and rational capacities of humankind.

2. productive of or directed toward the emotions.

   Artistic distortion is often an emotive use of form.

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emotive British  

/ ɪˈməʊtɪv /

adjective

1. tending or designed to arouse emotion

2. of or characterized by emotion

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Usage

Emotional is preferred to emotive when describing a display of emotion: he was given an emotional (not emotive ) welcome

Other Word Forms

• emotively adverb
• emotiveness noun
• emotivity noun
• hyperemotive adjective
• hyperemotively adverb
• hyperemotiveness noun
• hyperemotivity noun
• nonemotive adjective
• nonemotively adverb
• nonemotiveness noun
• unemotive adjective
• unemotively adverb
• unemotiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of emotive

First recorded in 1725–35; emot(ion) + -ive

Explanation

Something described as emotive shows feeling. If you consider women more emotive than men, you think that women are more comfortable sharing their feelings than men. While the word emotive is similar to the word emotional, it's important to note that the two aren't interchangeable. Emotive is used with regard to something that makes you have intense feelings rather than just having intense feelings. For example, an emotive conversation will result in getting people's emotions riled up, while an emotional conversation is one in which people go into it with a lot of intense feelings already.

Example Sentences

Acting, as Chalamet has shown time and again, is as much about a lithe and flexible body as it is about an emotive psyche.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

"Her spontaneity, emotive restraint and quiet confidence stood out immediately. Her courage to move far from home and attempt something entirely new at this age won us over."

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

They all conveyed a sense of urgency, using emotive language.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

Diners were ushered into a grand, circular room, served by waiters dressed in "hanfu", and treated to an eight-act performance involving twirling dancers and emotive dialogue from actors.

From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025

Notwithstanding this large body of theory, the role of color in art rests primarily on its sensuous and emotive appeal, in contrast to the more cerebral quality generally associated with line.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson