curative
part of speech
adjective (curative); noun (a curative, rare)
meaning for a pupil
1) Able to cure an illness or make someone healthy again. tree →
2) (formal) Meant to correct or put right a problem, not just to stop it from getting worse. tree →
3) (noun, rare) A medicine or treatment that cures. tree →
sense in the lessons
In health and science lessons «curative» treatment cures a disease, while «preventive» treatment stops you getting it. In stories and history, people believed in the curative powers of springs, herbs and spells. Phrases: «curative powers», «curative properties», «curative treatment».
examples
- The old woman believed the spring water had curative powers. tree →
- Doctors hoped the new medicine would be curative. tree →
- Some plants have curative properties. tree →
- Surgery can be curative if the problem is found early. tree →
- Rest and fluids have a curative effect on a cold. tree →
- (formal) The council took curative measures to fix the flooding. tree →
note
Pronounced «KYOOR-a-tiv». Trap: many products claim «curative powers» without proof — a claim is not evidence. Opposite idea: «preventive» (stopping illness before it starts).
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «curative» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.