- serving to decorate or adorn; ornamental
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
dec•o•ra•tive /ˈdɛkərətɪv/USA pronunciation adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- providing beauty;
ornamenting:some decorative woodwork and carvings.
dec•o•ra•tive
(dek′ər ə tiv, dek′rə-, dek′ə rā′-),USA pronunciation adj.
dec′o•ra•tive•ly, adv.
dec′o•ra•tive•ness, n.
- serving or tending to decorate.
- Fine Artserving only to decorate, in contrast to providing a meaningful experience.
- decorate + -ive 1785–95
dec′o•ra•tive•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
decorative /ˈdɛkərətɪv; ˈdɛkrətɪv/ adj
'decorative' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
antique
- apron
- arrange
- Arts and Crafts
- -ative
- attire
- baroque
- beaux-arts
- bibliopole
- bow
- Britannia metal
- broken
- bunting
- chinoiserie
- compass rose
- conventionalize
- corn dolly
- cornice
- court card
- cuff
- descant
- design
- doily
- Dresden china
- dress shirt
- drop
- embroider
- embroidery
- faggoting
- fancy
- fancy goods
- fascinator
- festoon
- fillet
- firedog
- flax
- fretwork
- frog
- frontal
- frontlet
- functional
- gadroon
- garnish
- glitter
- go-faster stripe
- grotesque
- hanging
- headpiece
- hemstitch
- air bell