os·ten·sive \-en(t)siv\adjective Etymology: Late Latin ostensivus, from Latin ostensus (past participle of ostendere to show) + -ivus -ive 1.: manifestly or immediately demonstrative : deictic < the proposition that my pen is falling down is ostensive and thus empirical — Stephan Körner > 2.: ostensible 2 • os·ten·sive·ly\-sə̇vlē\adverb