indicative

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˌɪˈndɪkətɪv/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Serving as a sign or indication of something; suggestive or showing.; Relating to the grammatical mood used to state facts or ask questions, as opposed to the subjunctive or imperative.
  2. noun
    The indicative mood of a verb.

🔗 Details

Word forms

uncountable Comparative: more indicative Superlative: most indicative

Collocations

indicative ofbe indicative ofindicative moodindicative priceindicative voteindicative planning

Derivatives

indicateindicationindicatorindicativelyindicatory

Synonyms

suggestivesymptomaticrevealingtelltalesignifyingdemonstrative

Commonly confused

suggestive
EN: 'Suggestive' implies hinting at something indirectly or provocatively; 'indicative' more neutrally means serving as a sign or evidence of something.
indicatory
EN: 'Indicatory' is a rare synonym of 'indicative' used almost exclusively in formal or technical writing; 'indicative' is the standard form.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember the '-ative' ending (not '-itive' or '-itive'); the root is 'indicate' with the suffix '-ive' replacing the final 'e'.

💬 Examples

  1. His silence was indicative of his disapproval.

  2. The verb 'is' in 'She is happy' is in the indicative mood.

  3. In English, the indicative is the most commonly used mood.