comparative
[ kuh m-par-uh-tiv ]
/ kəmˈpær ə tɪv /
adjective
of or relating to comparison.
proceeding by, founded on, or using comparison as a method of study: comparative anatomy.
estimated by comparison; not positive or absolute; relative: a comparative newcomer in politics; to live in comparative luxury.
Grammar. being, noting, or pertaining to the intermediate degree of the comparison of adjectives, as better and more beautiful, the comparative forms of good and beautiful, and of adverbs, as nearer and more carefully, the comparative forms of near and carefully.Compare positive(def 21), superlative(def 2).
noun Grammar.
the comparative degree.
a form in the comparative.
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Nearby words
Origin of comparative
Related forms
com·par·a·tive·ly, adverbcom·par·a·tive·ness, nounCan be confused
comparable comparativeDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for comparative
British Dictionary definitions for comparative
comparative
/ (kəmˈpærətɪv) /
adjective
denoting or involving comparisoncomparative literature
judged by comparison; relativea comparative loss of prestige
grammar denoting the form of an adjective that indicates that the quality denoted is possessed to a greater extent. In English the comparative form of an adjective is usually marked by the suffix -er or the word moreCompare positive (def. 10), superlative (def. 2)
noun
the comparative form of an adjective
Derived Forms
comparatively, adverbcomparativeness, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Culture definitions for comparative
comparative
A form of an adjective indicating a greater degree of the quality that the adjective describes. Better is the comparative form of good; faster is the comparative form of fast; bluer is the comparative form of blue; more charming is the comparative form of charming. (Compare superlative.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.