De*scrip"tive (?), a. [L. descriptivus: cf. F. descriptif.]

Tending to describe; having the quality of representing; containing description; as, a descriptive figure; a descriptive phrase; a descriptive narration; a story descriptive of the age.

[Descriptive anatomy], that part of anatomy which treats of the forms and relations of parts, but not of their textures. -- [Descriptive geometry], that branch of geometry. which treats of the graphic solution of problems involving three dimensions, by means of projections upon auxiliary planes.

Davies & Peck (Math. Dict. )

-- De*scrip"tive*ly, adv. -- De*scrip"tive*ness, n.

© [Webster 1913].