instructive

adjective

in·​struc·​tive in-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce instructive (audio)
Synonyms of instructivenext
: carrying a lesson : enlightening
instructively adverb
instructiveness noun

Synonyms of instructive

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Examples of instructive in a Sentence

an interesting and instructive lesson an instructive demonstration of the proper way to pack a suitcase so your clothes don't arrive in a mess
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Summaries of their sins and absurdities have now filled several books, but a sampler is instructive. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026 What The Flows Actually Show Cordros made a second observation in that April note which has travelled less widely than its dollar range, and which is the more instructive of the two. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Sometimes our body’s machinery for processing alcohol falters in instructive ways. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 To Brian, films are not instructive models for living but exist purely as aesthetic objects and experiences that can be appreciated entirely in and of themselves. — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instructive

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of instructive was in 1611

Rhymes for instructive

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Cite this Entry

“Instructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instructive. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

instructive

adjective
in·​struc·​tive in-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce instructive (audio)
: giving knowledge : helping to instruct or inform
an instructive experience
instructively adverb
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