Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Descriptive \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.

Source : WordNet®

descriptive
     adj 1: serving to describe or inform or characterized by
            description; "the descriptive variable"; "a
            descriptive passage" [ant: {undescriptive}]
     2: concerned with phenomena (especially language) at a
        particular period without considering historical
        antecedents; "synchronic linguistics"; "descriptive
        linguistics" [syn: {synchronic}] [ant: {diachronic}]
     3: describing the structure of a language; "descriptive
        linguistics simply describes language" [ant: {prescriptive}]