exploratory
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or concerned with exploration.
an exploratory operation.
-
inclined to make explorations.
Other Word Forms
- exploratively adverb
- nonexplorative adjective
- nonexploratory adjective
- unexplorative adjective
- unexploratory adjective
Etymology
Origin of exploratory
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English word from Latin word explōrātōrius. See exploration, -ory 1
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.
“It’s an exploratory conversation,” said Charles Scarallo, a certified financial planner in Melville, N.Y.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
Antonio held exploratory talks with the Championship club over a pay-as-you-play deal, before choosing to move to Qatar instead.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
The music is slow, melodic, restless and exploratory.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Venezuela said Friday it was in "exploratory" talks with the United States on restoring diplomatic ties, broken off in 2019 under ousted leader Nicolas Maduro.
From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026
I phoned Landsdoff at the New Institute for Advanced Study, about the possibility of utilizing the pair-production nuclear photoeffect for exploratory work in biophysics.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
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.
