exploratory

From explore +‎ -atory.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɛkˈsplɒɹ.ə.tə.ɹi/, /ɛkˈsplɒɹ.ə.tɹi/, /ɪkˈ-/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ɛkˈsplɔɹ.əˌtɔɹ.i/, /ɪkˈ-/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsplɔɹ.ə.tə.ɹi/

exploratory (not comparable)

1. Serving to explore or investigate.
   • 2017 June 26, Alexis Petridis, “Glastonbury 2017 verdict: Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Lorde, Stormzy and more”, in the Guardian‎:

     Meanwhile, for those who doubted the sheer breadth of music Glastonbury offers, a short walk took you from Thundercat’s exploratory, spaced-out take on jazz-funk – where the smooth sound of yacht rock crashed into extended passages of improvisation to thrilling effect – to the aforementioned Craig David, clad entirely in white and padding out his set by the simple expedient of playing other people’s records and singing along to them, and thence to Liam Gallagher on the comeback trail.

• exploratory committee

exploratory (plural exploratories)

1. An exploration or investigation.