qualitative

[kwol-i-tey-tiv]

adjective

1. pertaining to or concerned with quality or qualities.

qualitative

/ ˈkwɒlɪtətɪv, -ˌteɪ- /

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• qualitatively adverb
• nonqualitative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of qualitative¹

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

Example Sentences

Clients pay for qualitative research, surveys, focus groups and interviews with a pool of enthusiastic respondents the agency calls the Koi Pond.

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Museveni added that he wanted Uganda to take a "qualitative leap", and become a "high upper middle income country".

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Nearly all long-run economic polling data or qualitative study on economic well-being conclude that most Americans exist in a nearly permanent state of economic dissatisfaction, though not always in an outright crisis.

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Last month, Argyri co-authored a qualitative study of people who had gone through challenging experiences found some people gained more compassion for others in the process and wanted to give back after their experience.

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Featherstone, who is now coordinating the Palisades fire recovery, said Parks’ requests received “a qualitative negative response,” and suggested that there was a lack of understanding or appreciation of the import of EMD’s role.

Read more on Los Angeles Times