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contrastive

[ kuhn-tras-tiv ]
/ kənˈtræs tɪv /
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See synonyms for: contrastive / contrastively on Thesaurus.com

adjective

tending to contrast; contrasting. contrastive colors.
studying or exhibiting the congruences and differences between two languages or dialects without reference to their origins: contrastive linguistics.

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Origin of contrastive

First recorded in 1810–20; contrast + -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM contrastive

con·tras·tive·ly, adverbun·con·tras·tive, adjectiveun·con·tras·tive·ly, adverb

Words nearby contrastive

contrasexual, contrast, contrast agent, contrast bath, contrast enema, contrastive, contrastive stress, contrast medium, contrast stain, contrasty, contrasuggestible
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to contrastive

provisional, contrasting, disparate, distinct, distinctive, peculiar, offbeat, diverse, various, particular, distant, other, divergent, varied, diversified, differing, like, equivalent, relative, correlative

Example sentences from the Web for contrastive

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