Origin: Latin suffix -ive
Decorative has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
A plant, tile, etc. intended for use as decoration.
"The garden featured several decorative plants arranged along the stone pathway."
In plain English: A decorative object is something made just to look nice and add style rather than do any useful work.
"The decorative served to highlight the plain walls with bright colors and patterns."
Usage: Use this noun form to refer specifically to ornamental objects like plants or tiles rather than describing something that merely has decorative qualities. It functions similarly to the adjective "decoration" but emphasizes an item's purpose of adding visual appeal to a space.
serving an esthetic rather than a useful purpose
"cosmetic fenders on cars"
"the buildings were utilitarian rather than decorative"
That serves to decorate
"The gold trim on the frame is purely decorative and adds no structural support."
The word comes from the Latin decoratus, meaning adorned or embellished, combined with the suffix -ive. It entered English to describe things that are ornamented or made attractive through decoration.