Indicative means serving as a sign or signal that points to something else. When dark clouds gather in the sky, they're indicative of coming rain. When a friend suddenly stops talking and stares at the ground, that behavior might be indicative of sadness or worry.

The word helps us talk about clues and patterns. A doctor might say that a patient's symptoms are indicative of the flu. A teacher might notice that messy handwriting is indicative of rushing through an assignment. Scientists look for results that are indicative of larger trends or discoveries.

Think of indicative things as breadcrumbs that lead you toward understanding something bigger. If your dog starts wagging her tail and running to the door, that's indicative that someone's arriving. If test scores across a whole school suddenly improve, that's indicative of effective teaching methods.

The word comes from the same root as “indicate,” which means to point out or show. When something is indicative, it indicates or suggests what's really going on. Learning to spot what's indicative of what helps you understand the world more clearly, whether you're reading a story, conducting a science experiment, or just paying attention to the people around you.