instructive

adjective

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

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.
Truly, the life and career of Bouterse are instructive. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 8 Jan. 2025 Wasn’t the Scarborough disaster (60% of the demo audience gone in three days) instructive enough? Keith Olbermann, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024 For Chinese strategists, these past examples are instructive. Kyle Balzer, Foreign Affairs, 21 Nov. 2024 When the Kremlin brazenly pulled off another hack-and-leak operation the next year, in Europe, France’s response provided an instructive contrast. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near instructive

Cite this Entry

“Instructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instructive. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on instructive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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