Etymology From Latin hortātīvus, from hortor (“to exhort”).
1
Urging, exhorting, or encouraging.
The ministration of these oracles from the pulpit is to be reformed from any of its factitious peculiarities, and made again what it was among the apostles and their immediate successors—earnest, simple, powerful address—hortative talk, if we may so call it.January 1854, “The Preaching Required by the Times”, in The National Magazine, volume 4, number 1, New York, Editorial, pages 79–80:
2
Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Of a mood or class of imperative subjunctive moods of a verb for giving strong encouragement.