Observative

adj, noun

adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: An observation.
  • Grammar: observative is listed as adj, noun.
  • Nearest alternatives: thoughtful.
  • Usage evidence: Taking the cue from the depth and intensity of her terse poems, numbering 1775 (composed during four decades but except seven, all unpublished, during her lifetime) one feels she was engaged in a sort of poetic sadhana; she is curiously observative of the life around her and is concerned with 'deeper interests and finer suggestions.'

How to use "observative"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "observative" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "observative" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "observative" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "observative" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "observative" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "thoughtful" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "observative", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An observation.

    "Taking these observations as a basis for his experiments, Westphalen tried placing patients with habitual constipation on the regular peasant diet, with marked substantiation of the original hypothesis deduced from his general observatives, that the vegetable diet serves as a marked stimulus to intestinal action."

  2. 2
    An utterance that describes or calls attention to something that the speaker observes.

    "Now consider an observative that does not immediately raise the problem of ellipsis: "Willard is on the mat!" Unlike "Lo, a rabbit!," or even just "A rabbit!," this observative utterance takes the form of a proposition that can function as a purely declaratival expression."

Adjective
  1. 1
    observant; watchful

    "Taking the cue from the depth and intensity of her terse poems, numbering 1775 (composed during four decades but except seven, all unpublished, during her lifetime) one feels she was engaged in a sort of poetic sadhana; she is curiously observative of the life around her and is concerned with 'deeper interests and finer suggestions.'"

  2. 2
    Pertaining to observation.

    "A Habit may often raise the common conceptive sensations to the same degree of vividness as the observative, and even to a degree still higher."

  3. 3
    Pertaining to an observative (utterance about an observation).

    "Nevertheless, even Quine, one of the strongest enemies of the distinction between observation and theory, maintains that it is possible to characterise observative sentences."

Example

"Taking the cue from the depth and intensity of her terse poems, numbering 1775 (composed during four decades but except seven, all unpublished, during her lifetime) one feels she was engaged in a sort of poetic sadhana; she is curiously observative of the life around her and is concerned with 'deeper interests and finer suggestions.'"

Common questions

What does "observative" mean?

An observation.

What is a synonym for "observative"?

Common synonyms include: thoughtful.

How do you use "observative" in a sentence?

Taking the cue from the depth and intensity of her terse poems, numbering 1775 (composed during four decades but except seven, all unpublished, during her lifetime) one feels she was engaged in a sort of poetic sadhana; she is curiously observative of the life around her and is concerned with 'deeper interests and finer suggestions.'

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