adj
exploratory
ehk-SPLOR-uh-tuh-ree
adj
1
Done in order to investigate or find something out.
"Doctors performed exploratory surgery to find the cause of the pain."
"They held exploratory talks before signing the deal."
How to Use Exploratory
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMeant for investigating or testing something out, rather than for a final result.
Common pairings
exploratory surgery
exploratory talks
Word Forms
exploratories plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “exploratory”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Doctors performed _____ surgery to find the cause of the pain.
Etymology
From explore + the adjective ending -atory.