indicative
Americanadjective
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showing, signifying, or pointing out; expressive or suggestive (usually followed byof ).
behavior indicative of mental disorder.
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Grammar. noting or pertaining to the mood of the verb used for ordinary objective statements, questions, etc., as the verb plays in John plays football.
noun
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indicatives
plural
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the indicative mood.
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a verb in the indicative.
adjective
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serving as a sign; suggestive
indicative of trouble ahead
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grammar denoting a mood of verbs used chiefly to make statements Compare subjunctive
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of indicative
From the Late Latin word indicātīvus, dating back to 1520–30. See indicate, -ive
Explanation
Use the word indicative when you want to show that something is suggestive or serves as a sign of something. Your willingness to help out with the charity is indicative of your generous nature. The adjective indicative is usually followed by the word of. After being caught in the storm, you protested that the current condition of your hair and clothes were in no way indicative of your normal grooming habits. Instead, you argue, your appearance is indicative of your work ethic, since you braved wind, rain, and sleet to get to work that day. Did you know that some experts say the rise in skirt hemlines is indicative of economic recovery?
Vocabulary lists containing indicative
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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.
See Examples For:
That GLP-s can either relieve back and knee pain or bring on musculoskeletal issues due to rapid weight loss is indicative of how little we know about how these powerful medications work.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Ingenia, which owns retirement villages and holiday parks in Australia, said Monday that the New York-based private-equity group had raised its indicative all-cash offer to 5.25 Australian dollars a share, equivalent to US$3.69.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Scott Bryan, TV critic and author of Out Now: A Queer History of Modern Television, says the move is indicative of just how severe the financial pressures facing broadcasters have become.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Hargitay might not be the most interesting choice, but her hiring is an indicative choice of the cultural period we’re in right now.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
Observations on several flocks of sheep and a herd of beef cattle are indicative of the poisoning and death that threatened livestock as well.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
The forms Fotobi, Fokorobi, and Fusabi are all given present indicatives in bu.
From Diego Collado's Grammar of the Japanese Language by Richard L. Spear
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.
