Indicative Of: Standard Pattern
Indicative Of: Standard Pattern records the directly documented Cambridge construction and limits the claim to the evidenced complement pattern.
Cambridge documents “indicative of” for something that shows, suggests, or points to a condition or fact.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| sign, result, or feature points to a condition or fact | indicative of + noun | Use “of.” |
| direct proof or certainty | stronger evidential wording | Do not make “indicative of” mean conclusive proof. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does the subject show, suggest, or point toward the condition named after it?
If yes: Use “indicative of.”
If no: If the evidence proves the claim rather than merely indicating it, choose wording that accurately states that stronger relationship.
Caveat: “Indicative of” signals evidence or a sign; it should not be overstated as certainty when the source context supports only indication.
Examples
The pattern is indicative of a configuration error.
The pattern points toward the likely condition.
A sudden drop may be indicative of a connection problem.
The observation suggests, rather than conclusively proves, a cause.
These changes are indicative of broader demand shifts.
The changes serve as signs of the condition named.
Further guidance
Construction
Cambridge documents indicative of as the construction for something that shows or suggests a condition or fact.
Style Boundary
This page records the supported indicative-of construction without asserting that every occurrence of indicative must use the same syntax.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- indicative of — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge dictionary evidence for the construction indicative of something.