significative
Americanadjective
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(of a sign, mark, etc) symbolic
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another word for significant
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of significative
1350–1400; Middle English (< Old French significatif, significative ) < Late Latin significātīvus denoting, equivalent to Latin significāt ( us ) (past participle of significāre to make a sign; see signify, -ate 1) + -īvus -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.
Now it is the experience of all that dreams are significative of the future.
From Summa Theologica, Part II-II (Secunda Secundae) Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province by Thomas, Aquinas, Saint
Nor are the little curves, thus significative of trees, laid on at random.
From Modern Painters, Volume IV (of V) by Ruskin, John
But in course of time these words have lost their force—their meaning has been forgotten—and they have come to be mere proper names, designative but not significative.
From History of Phoenicia by Rawlinson, George
And without a word or look significative of his knowledge that Eugene was nigh, the duke placed Laura's other arm within his own, and stalked away.
From Prince Eugene and His Times by Mühlbach, L. (Luise)
The significative portion of it is the character for 'speech,' but the other half is merely phonetical, enabling us to approximate to its pronunciation or name.
From The Shih King From the Sacred Books of the East Volume 3 by Legge, James
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.
