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:
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said that a recent decline in ratings at Fox News isn’t indicative of a deeper problem at the network.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The interest, formal and indicative offers were being evaluated "with a view to minimising uncertainty for Poundland's people and all relevant stakeholders."
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Luria added that he considers Musk’s comments to be “aspirational,” indicative of his faith in SpaceX and the durability of demand for computing power.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
If the University of South Carolina campus is indicative of anything, the next generation has deep skepticism about artificial intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
I was dimly aware that this beginning was somehow indicative of the rest of my life.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
