decorative element
1
3.7
- noun
- They're too cool a decorative element to ignore.
Examples
-
Books, a globe, and a few animals serve as decorative elements in this 1769 portrait of Buffon, in contrast to the religious imagery in the painting of Linnaeus on the opposite page.
Academic text (2006) -
Meanwhile, decorative elements from the Palazzo dei Convertendi and other buildings of aesthetic interest were saved and stored in warehouses.
Academic text (2006) -
Benjamin has created a stylish decorative element for the interior.
Blog text (17) -
Eventually, more and more decorative elements were added, and the castle was ultimately converted into a hunting lodge and countryside retreat.
Academic text (2008) -
The eclectic style of the decorative elements shows that the isolated Altai Scythians had been influenced by civilizations that lay far from their native mountains.
Academic text (2002) -
The snake motif frequently appears as a decorative element in the earliest religious structures, the wooden stave churches from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries A.D.
Academic text (2000) -
Located at the busy intersection of Avenida Juarez and Boulevard Lopez Mateos, the center featured Chinese structural and decorative elements, including tall, arched gateways.
Academic text (1995) -
The vase serves as a beautiful decorative element on the dining table.
-
Adding a new painting can be a simple yet effective decorative element in any room.
-
They installed a striking mural as a decorative element to enhance the cafe's ambiance.
Synonyms
49
3.3
A pattern or picture used to decorate a surface
26
3.0
A small extra detail that makes something look or feel better
15
5.8
Something added to make a story or thing more interesting
8
4.2
Something added to make a person or thing look more attractive
6
4.9
Details added to make something look more beautiful
4
3.8
A small extra detail that makes something feel nicer
1
3.8
A small detail that makes something look beautiful and special
1
8.9
A small decoration added to food to make the dish look nicer
1
6.3
A decorative piece people add to a building to make it look nicer
1
8.2
A small ornament that sits on top of things like roofs, posts or furniture
1
8.5
Decorative details added for show that do not make something work better
A part of a place or object that looks beautiful
How Decorative
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'decorative' (designed to improve visual appeal) with 'element' (a separable part or component): it denotes a part whose purpose is decoration. This adjective+noun composition is a common, compositional pattern cross-linguistically and would be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Decorative element comes from the simple image of a small piece added to make something look nicer. Imagine a sugar flower on a cake or a carved element on a door that is decorative, and that is why the phrase means 'an item added to improve appearance'.