Origin: Latin suffix -ive
Explosive has 6 different meanings across 2 categories:
a chemical substance that undergoes a rapid chemical change (with the production of gas) on being heated or struck
"The laboratory was filled with smoke after an accidental strike caused the explosive to detonate."
Any explosive substance.
"The bomb squad had to contain the unexploded explosive before it could detonate."
serving to explode or characterized by explosion or sudden outburst
"an explosive device"
"explosive gas"
"explosive force"
"explosive violence"
"an explosive temper"
With the capability to, or likely to, explode.
"The old gas main was left in an explosive condition after the repair crew accidentally severed a pipe."
In plain English: Explosive means something that can suddenly burst apart with great force and speed, often causing damage.
"The explosive went off in the middle of the crowded market."
Usage: Use this adjective to describe things that are physically capable of exploding or situations with sudden, violent intensity. Avoid confusing it with nouns like "an explosion," which refers to the event itself rather than a quality.
The word explosive comes from the Latin verb explodere, which originally meant to drive out or eject by force. It entered English with this sense of violent ejection, eventually coming to describe anything that bursts apart suddenly.