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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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
- indicatively adverb
- unindicative adjective
- unindicatively adverb
Etymology
Origin of indicative
From the Late Latin word indicātīvus, dating back to 1520–30. See indicate, -ive
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.
“While we acknowledge that Anthropic could still be engineering its own cyber products in lower-barrier areas, we see the urgency of the partnership as indicative of core cyber’s relative insulation from AI disintermediation,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
One of them is a title so generic, so blandly inoffensive yet simultaneously indicative of hope, resolve, or insider knowledge as to be, ultimately, unmemorable.
From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026
This, Cunningham says, is indicative of a culture that needs to change.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Because energy and food prices are so volatile, the Fed and most economists often exclude them, yielding a “core” inflation rate more indicative of underlying trends.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
“I needed some fresh air,” I tell him, which is indicative of how nerved up I am.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
