comparative
adjective
- syntactic construction that serves to express a comparison
noun
- syntactic construction that serves to express a comparison
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /kəmˈpæɹətɪv/ / /kəmˈpɛɹətɪv/
adj
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Latin pār Latin compār Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin comparō Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin īvus Latin comparātīvusbor. Old French comparatifbor. Middle English comparatif English comparative From Middle English comparatif, from Middle French comparatif, from Latin comparātīvus, equivalent to comparātus, from comparāre (“to compare”) + -ive, from Latin -īvus.
- Of or relating to comparison.
“He gave us a comparative example to illustrate how the human mind works.”
“that kind of animals that have the comparative faculty, by which they compare things together, deliberate and resolve.”
- Using comparison as a method of study, or founded on something using it.
“A comparative study between Homo Sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis.”
“comparative anatomy”
- Approximated by comparison; relative.
“I've passed the test with comparative ease.”
“The Olympics, the weather and a comparative lack of heavyweight clashes so far this season have been cited as reasons for the drop in viewers.”
- Comparable; bearing comparison.
“And need he had of slumber yet, for none / Had suffered more—his hardships were comparative / To those related in my grand-dad's Narrative.”
noun
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Latin pār Latin compār Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin comparō Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin īvus Latin comparātīvusbor. Old French comparatifbor. Middle English comparatif English comparative From Middle English comparatif, from Middle French comparatif, from Latin comparātīvus, equivalent to comparātus, from comparāre (“to compare”) + -ive, from Latin -īvus.
- The degree of comparison of an adjective or adverb used when comparing two entities in terms of a certain property or a certain way of doing something. In English, the comparative of superiority is formed by adding the suffix -er or the word more (e.g. bigger, more fully); the comparative of equality, by adding the word as (e.g. as big, as fully); the comparative of inferiority, by adding the word less (e.g. less big, less fully).
- An adjective or adverb in the comparative degree.
- Data used to make a comparison.
“Investment ratios are positive. Comparative or trend data are required to draw final conclusions. The absence of comparatives and trend data constrains the conclusions.”
- An equal; a rival; a compeer.
“Gerrard ever was / His full comparative.”
- One who makes comparisons; one who affects wit.
“Every beardless vain comparative.”