What is indicative meaning?

Indicative meaning refers to the use of language to convey factual information or to make statements that are either true or false. This type of meaning implies that the speaker is presenting the listener with objective and verifiable information.

Examples of indicative statements include:

• The sky is blue.
• My name is John.
• Dogs are mammals.
• The temperature is 25 degrees Celsius.
• Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.

Indicative meaning can be contrasted with other types of meaning, such as imperative (commands or requests), interrogative (questions), and subjunctive (hypothetical or uncertain situations).

In linguistics, indicative is also the name of a grammatical mood that is used to make statements of fact or describe reality. This mood is characterized by the use of declarative sentences, which have a subject-verb-object structure and do not express doubt, uncertainty, or emotion.