decorative

[ dek-er-uh-tiv, dek-ruh-, dek-uh-rey- ]

adjective

1. serving or tending to decorate.
2. Fine Arts. serving only to decorate, in contrast to providing a meaningful experience.

decorative

/ ˈdɛkrətɪv; ˈdɛkərətɪv /

adjective

1. serving to decorate or adorn; ornamental

Derived Forms

• ˈdecorativeness, noun
• ˈdecoratively, adverb

Other Words From

• deco·ra·tive·ly adverb
• deco·ra·tive·ness noun
• non·deco·ra·tive adjective
• over·deco·ra·tive adjective
• over·deco·ra·tive·ly adverb
• over·deco·ra·tive·ness noun
• un·deco·ra·tive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of decorative¹

First recorded in 1785–95; decorate + -ive

Example Sentences

Left, sliced log slabs make decorative plates and platters.

From Los Angeles Times

Left unfinished at the composer’s death in 1869, it was the most important opera of last weekend and delivered in far and away the least decorative manner.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s turtlenecks and quality sweaters, buying decorative gourds for an evening dinner party and coupling up for cuffing season, if not longer term.

From Los Angeles Times

Unable to fold herself into a massive decorative vase and roll herself into her pool, she settled on gulping down 100 benzos.

From Salon

The so-called “hot girl food” is exactly what its name suggests: processed seafood — namely sardines, anchovies, salmon, mollusks and shellfish — that’s neatly packaged and presented in a peel-back, often decorative tin.

From Salon

Related Words

• fancy
• ornamental