1. Plural of descriptivist; people who believe that language rules and standards should be based on how language is actually used by speakers and writers, rather than on prescriptive rules.
Usage: linguistics; often used in contrast with prescriptivists

Examples

• Descriptivists argue that dictionaries should record language as it is spoken, not as some believe it should be spoken.
• Many modern linguists are descriptivists who study actual language use in real communities.
• Descriptivists and prescriptivists often disagree about whether certain grammatical constructions are acceptable.
• The descriptivists in the panel explained that language naturally evolves over time.
• Unlike prescriptivists, descriptivists do not judge speakers for using 'ain't' in casual speech.