Notative

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by assigning meanings to signs or symbols; relating to the notation of concepts in language or mathematics; involving the interpretation of signs within a communicative context
2. Associated with the process of conveying ideas through symbols; pertaining to the systems used in writing or representing information; linked to sign interpretation in various forms of communication
3. Involving the act of noting meanings or values; relating to the symbolic representation in written or visual forms; concerned with understanding the significance of various signs in communication

Etymology: "Notative" is a plain formation: it combines the Latin "notātus," the past participle of "notare" ("to mark, note"), with the English suffix "-ive," which forms adjectives meaning "tending to" or "relating to" an action. The result is a word for whatever relates to marking or noting, and in its current sense, to the use of signs and symbols to convey information. The Latin root behind "notātus" is the same one that gave English "note," "notation" and "notary," so the word sits within a large family of marking and recording terms. The adjective is a fairly technical coinage built from these parts rather than a term with a long history of its own, and its earliest recorded use is not something the available source details.

Synonyms: indicative, denotative, significant, representative, meaningful

Antonyms: ambiguous, vague, unclear, indeterminate, insignificant