qualitative

American  

[kwol-i-tey-tiv] / ˈkwɒl ɪˌteɪ tɪv /

adjective

1. pertaining to or concerned with quality or qualities.

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qualitative British  

/ ˈkwɒlɪtətɪv, -ˌteɪ- /

adjective

1. involving or relating to distinctions based on quality or qualities Compare quantitative

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Other Word Forms

• nonqualitative adjective
• qualitatively adverb

Etymology

Origin of qualitative

First recorded in 1600–10; from Late Latin quālitātīvus, equivalent to quālitāt- (stem of quālitās ) quality + -īvus -ive

Example Sentences

"Quantitatively, there may be refinements. For example, the current treatment includes gravity in a static, lowest-order approximation. The pulsar is rotating, and including rotational effects could introduce quantitative changes, though not qualitative ones."

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

The result is a statistical rise in participation that masks a qualitative divide: opportunity at the top, compulsion at the bottom.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

But China’s military is quickly closing both quantitative and qualitative gaps—and has pulled ahead in some areas, such as hypersonic weapons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

It is a quantitative and qualitative analytical work in progress.

From Barron's • Dec. 12, 2025

To the extent this represented a quantitative judgment, it was certainly true; yet in qualitative terms, it may be viewed as a desperate rationalization of a foregone conclusion.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik