Comparative

English

Etymology

Originated 1400–50 from late Middle English comparative, from Latin comparativus, equivalent to comparatus from comparare (“to compare”) + -ive from Latin -ivus.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /kəmˈpæɹ.ə.tɪf/, SAMPA: /k@m"p{[email protected]/

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Adjective

Comparative (comparative more Comparative, superlative most Comparative)

1. Of or related to comparison.
2. Using comparison as a method of study, or founded on something using it.
3. Approximated by comparison; relative.
4. (obsolete) Comparable; bearing comparison.
   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, II.137:

     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.

Derived terms

• comparatively
• comparativeness
• comparativism
• comparativist
• comparativistic

Noun

Comparative (plural Comparatives)

1. (grammar) A construction showing a relative quality, in English usually formed by adding more or appending -er. For example, the comparative of green is greener; of evil, more evil.
2. (grammar) A word in the comparative form.

Thesaurus

affinitive, analogical, analogous, appertaining, approximate, associative, collatable, commensurable, commensurate, comparable, congenial, connective, correlative, en rapport, equivalent, like, linking, matchable, much at one, near, parallel, pertaining, pertinent, proportionable, proportional, proportionate, referable, referring, relating, relational, relative, similar, sympathetic

Translations

Adjective

of or related to comparison

Bulgarian: сравнителен (bg) Finnish: verrannollinen (fi), vertaileva (fi) French: comparatif (fr) m.

Italian: comparativo (it) m. Persian: تفضیلی (fa), تطبیقی (fa) Russian: сравнительный (ru) (sravnít'el'nyj)

using comparison as a method of study

Bulgarian: сравнителен (bg) Finnish: vertaileva (fi) French: comparatif (fr) m.

Italian: comparativo (it) m. Russian: сравнительный (ru) (sravnít'el'nyj)

relative

Bulgarian: относителен (bg) Finnish: suhteellinen (fi), verrannollinen (fi)

Russian: относительный (ru) (otnosít'el'nyj)

The translations below need to be checked.

Translations to be checked

Old English: wiþmetenlic, wiþmetendlic German: vergleichend

Noun

grammatical construction

Bulgarian: сравнителна степен (bg) Croatian: kȍmparatīv (hr) m. Finnish: komparatiivi (fi), vertailumuoto (fi) French: comparatif (fr) m. German: Vergleichsform (de) f., Komparativ (de) m.

Hungarian: középfok (hu) Italian: comparativo (it) m. Polish: stopień wyższy (pl) m. Spanish: comparativo (es) m.

word in comparative form

Chinese: Simplified: 比较 Traditional: 比較 Croatian: kȍmparatīv (hr) m. Czech: komparativ (cs) m. Dutch: vergrotende trap (nl) m. Finnish: komparatiivi (fi), vertailumuoto (fi) French: comparatif (fr) m. German: Komparativ (de) m. Icelandic: miðstig (is) n. Italian: comparativo (it) Japanese: 比較級 (ja)

Korean: 비교급 (ko) (bu-gyo-geup,比較級) Norwegian: komparativ (no) Novial: komparative Old English: óðere wordmittung f., óðere wordsomnung f.; Persian: صفت برتر (sefat-e bartar) Polish: stopień wyższy (pl) m. Portuguese: comparativo (pt) m. Russian: сравнительная степень (sravnítel’naja stépen’) f. Spanish: comparativo (es) m. Swedish: komparativ (sv) n. Vietnamese: cấp so sánh

Related terms

• absolute, absolute superlative, relative superlative, comparative superlative
• degrees of comparison
• superlative

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Italian

Adjective

comparative f.

1. feminine plural form of comparativo

Anagrams

• comparivate
• crepitavamo

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Latin

Adjective

comparātīve

1. vocative masculine singular of comparātīvus