as in informative
providing useful information or knowledge
an instructive demonstration of the proper way to pack a suitcase so your clothes don't arrive in a mess
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Recent Examples of instructive
That January of 2023 could prove instructive — Arsenal lost out on their primary target, Mykhailo Mudryk, so pivoted to sign Trossard.
—
James McNicholas, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
One-Off Initiatives Don’t Solve DEI The lawsuit against PayPal offers an instructive example of how many of Big Tech’s DEI programs have been set up to fail.
—Allyson Kapin, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Spain, under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is another instructive case.
—Isabella M. Weber, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2025
But even then, some of the talk is witty and instructive, building toward a resolution that, if not happy, feels conciliatory and hard-earned, while true to its characters’ flaws and vanities.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for instructive 
James McNicholas, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
One-Off Initiatives Don’t Solve DEI The lawsuit against PayPal offers an instructive example of how many of Big Tech’s DEI programs have been set up to fail.
—Allyson Kapin, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Spain, under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is another instructive case.
—Isabella M. Weber, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2025
But even then, some of the talk is witty and instructive, building toward a resolution that, if not happy, feels conciliatory and hard-earned, while true to its characters’ flaws and vanities.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for instructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instructive
Adjective
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From the front page to the last, there was always something informative that exposed the life of the community to the reader.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
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That informative announcement asks the audience to acknowledge the indigenous people on whose ancestral lands the theater now stands.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The trend of clients seeking out educative experiences outside of the classroom continues to bubble, and this new epic pilgrimage is designed to celebrate the many life lessons Greek mythology presents while igniting children’s curiosity for the world through the ancient hero’s journey.—
Jared Ranahan,
Forbes,
27 Sep. 2024
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The transformative retreats take place in Portugal and Sayulita, Mexico, and combine an impressive range of treatments and educative modalities.—
Kyle J. Russell,
USA TODAY,
13 June 2024
Adjective
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Led by a performance of transfixing grace and subtlety from Ben Whishaw in the title role, the diaristic film spins compacted time into something free-flowing, expansive, illuminating and emotionally resonant, all of it achieved with elegant restraint.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Jan. 2025
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The charming and illuminating book about how the late Princess Diana undertook secret dance classes is being made into a new film.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
24 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near instructive
Cite this Entry
“Instructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instructive. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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