indicative meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

indicative

adj

US /ɪnˈdɪk.ə.tɪv/

Etymology From Middle French indicatif, from Late Latin indicātīvus. By surface analysis, indicate + -ive.

Serving as a sign, indication or suggestion of something.

He had pains indicative of a heart attack.
Although it may be convenient within the case study publication format to cover the topic of pseudopathology in the discussion of differential diagnosis, this is not indicative of how this stage of work slots into the diagnostic process in the laboratory.2023, Simon Mays, “The Macroscopic Study of Human Skeletal Paleopathology” (chapter 2), in The Routledge Handbook of Paleopathology, Routledge, →DOI, →ISBN, page 29:

Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Of, or relating to the indicative mood.

Derived terms: bioindicative, contraindicative, indicative conditional, indicatively, indicativeness, indicative planning, indicative vote, nonindicative, unindicative

noun

Etymology From Middle French indicatif, from Late Latin indicātīvus. By surface analysis, indicate + -ive.

Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences The indicative mood.

Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences A term in the indicative mood.

The fact that imperative forms were taken into English as indicatives suggests that the English speakers using the Hindustani verbs were most familiar (in some cases perhaps only familiar) with the imperative form.2018, James Lambert, “Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles”, in World Englishes, volume 37, page 253: