decorative

[ dek-er-uh-tiv, dek-ruh-, dek-uh-rey- ]
See synonyms for decorative on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. serving or tending to decorate.

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

Origin of decorative

1
First recorded in 1785–95; decorate + -ive

Other words from decorative

  • 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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for decorative

decorative

/ (ˈdɛkərətɪv, ˈdɛkrətɪv) /


adjective
  1. serving to decorate or adorn; ornamental

Derived forms of decorative

  • decoratively, adverb
  • decorativeness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012