in·dic·a·tive / inˈdikətiv/ • adj. 1. serving as a sign or indication of something: having recurrent dreams is not necessarily indicative of any psychological problem.2. Gram. denoting a mood of verbs expressing simple statement of a fact. Compare with subjunctive.• n. Gram. a verb in the indicative mood. ∎  (the indicative) the indicative mood.DERIVATIVES: in·dic·a·tive·ly adv.

INDICATIVE. A term for the grammatical MOOD in which statements are expressed: the sentence I saw her yesterday is in the indicative (mood). The indicative is the most common mood in English, and is used for both statements (She knew him) and questions (She knew him?). However, these may imply meanings typically associated with the imperative (where both I should like to borrow your pen and Can I borrow your pen? are indirect requests) and the subjunctive (a wish in God should bless you in all your works or after expressions of request, necessity, and the like, as in It is imperative that she answers our letter immediately, where the SUBJUNCTIVE is an alternative). See DECLARATIVE.

Indicative (form of absolution): see ABSOLUTION.