exploratory

[ ik-splawr-uh-tawr-ee ]

/ ɪkˈsplɔr əˌtɔr i /

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See synonyms for exploratory on Thesaurus.com

adjective

pertaining to or concerned with exploration: an exploratory operation.

inclined to make explorations.

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Also ex·plor·a·tive

[ik-splawr-uh-tiv] /ɪkˈsplɔr ə tɪv/ .

Origin of exploratory

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English word from Latin word explōrātōrius.See exploration, -ory¹

OTHER WORDS FROM exploratory

ex·plor·a·tive·ly, adverbnon·ex·plor·a·tive, adjectivenon·ex·plor·a·to·ry, adjectiveun·ex·plor·a·tive, adjective

un·ex·plor·a·to·ry, adjective

Words nearby exploratory

exploitation film, exploitative, exploiting, exploration, explorationist, exploratory, explore, explorer, explorer tent, explosible, explosimeter

How to use exploratory in a sentence

The following bits of journalism are more exploratory than hard-hitting.
How 2 startups scaled to $50M ARR and beyond|Alex Wilhelm|January 27, 2021|TechCrunch
Campa-Najjar, who had formed an exploratory committee, announced earlier this week that he believed the district should be represented by a woman of color after also releasing polling showing he was the leading Democrat in the race.
Morning Report: County Gives COVID Patients’ Addresses to Police|Voice of San Diego|January 21, 2021|Voice of San Diego
This is more of an exploratory technique, so test yourself and try finding what feels good to you.
A step-by-step guide to giving yourself a massage|Sandra Gutierrez G.|January 14, 2021|Popular-Science
Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer took the next stop in his long, drawn-out flirtation with a run for governor of California by announcing Monday that he’s formed an exploratory committee for a bid.
Morning Report: DNA Testing Reveals Local Fertility Fraud Cases|Voice of San Diego|January 5, 2021|Voice of San Diego

Essentially, they think an ancestral archaeon began reaching into the world around it and associating with bacteria through these exploratory blebs of membrane.
Did Viruses Create the Nucleus? The Answer May Be Near.|Christie Wilcox|November 25, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Unlike former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Huckabee is not immediately forming an exploratory committee.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?|Lloyd Green|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Rand Paul announced he would form an exploratory committee for a Senate campaign at just the right time, in May 2009.
Rand Paul’s Daddy Issues|Olivia Nuzzi|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Gorgeous gave them an opportunity to take on a serious subject in a fun, exploratory way, McGill says.
Hello, ‘Gorgeous’: Grit and Glamour In San Francisco|Emily Wilson|June 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is not an efficient way to write, but I love that exploratory phase, when even bad writing somehow seems promising.
Scott Turow: How I Write|Noah Charney|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In February, he formed an exploratory committee for his congressional bid.
Sean Eldridge, Husband of Facebook Mogul Chris Hughes, Running For Congress|Ben Jacobs|September 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
From this exploratory trip, the boats returned to their newly named harbour of Brest, on the 13th.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft
It is the last book to which he should return at the close of his exploratory voyages.
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. VIII|Various
In the latter case paring becomes necessary as an exploratory means to diagnosis.
Diseases of the Horse's Foot|Harry Caulton Reeks
The thinking of things out carefully over a second and third cup of coffee, cautious self exploratory reasoning.
The Land of Look Behind|Paul Cameron Brown
This was our seventh exploratory trip after our sixth landing since entering the field of the sun Ponthis.
The Long Voyage|Carl Richard Jacobi