comparative

1 of 2

adjective

com·​par·​a·​tive kəm-ˈper-ə-tiv How to pronounce comparative (audio)
-ˈpa-rə-
1
: of, relating to, or constituting the degree of comparison in a language that denotes increase in the quality, quantity, or relation expressed by an adjective or adverb
The comparative form of happy is happier.
The comparative form of clearly is more clearly.
2
: considered as if in comparison to something else as a standard not quite attained : relative
a comparative stranger
She's a comparative newcomer to the company.
3
: characterized by systematic comparison especially of likenesses and dissimilarities
comparative anatomy
a comparative analysis of the roles of women in different cultures
comparatively adverb
comparativeness noun

comparative

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: one that compares with another especially on equal footing : rival
b
: one that makes witty or mocking comparisons
2
: the comparative degree or form in a language
The comparative of tall is taller.

Examples of comparative in a Sentence

Adjective She did a comparative study of classical and modern art. I'm taking a class in comparative anatomy. a comparative analysis of the roles of women in different cultures The comparative form of “happy” is “happier”; the comparative form of “good” is “better”; the comparative form of “clearly” is “more clearly.” Noun “Taller” is the comparative of “tall.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Analysts say Singapore’s comparative advantage over its neighbors include its infrastructure, connectivity and continuity for the arts agenda due to political stability. Regine Cabato, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 David Ricardo, famous proponent of comparative advantage, was born about four years before Smith’s most essential book. John Tamny, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 At 72, Mellencamp is the comparative newcomer of the lineup and will be promoting his 2023 album Orpheus Descending. Spin Staff, SPIN, 27 Feb. 2024 One is principally an academic argument between comparative political scientists and historians about whether there is any merit to comparing the contemporary era of U.S. politics with the early-twentieth-century rise of fascism in Europe. Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 The cultural historian and associate professor of critical and comparative studies at the University of Virginia, Karl Hagstrom Miller, puts forth in his work that country music was born from popular music of the South. Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Second, to point out that the Hollywood Red Scare only targeted about three hundred people, giving a sense of the comparative scale of cancel culture, which has seen more than one thousand attempts to cancel professors since 2014. David Cole, The New York Review of Books, 15 Feb. 2024 It will be moderated by TCU faculty members Stacie McCormick, associate professor of English, comparative race and ethnic studies and women and gender studies, and Brandon Manning, associate professor of Black literature and culture in the Department of English. Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 The candidates and schedule are as follows: Thursday: Stephanie Ricker Schulte, an associate dean for the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, a professor of communication and a faculty affiliate for the interdisciplinary comparative literature and cultural studies program. Danny Shameer, arkansasonline.com, 13 Feb. 2024
Noun
Alstom said Tuesday that first-quarter sales grew while orders fell against a strong prior-year comparative. Pierre Bertrand, WSJ, 25 July 2023 Also known as comparatives, web weaving is a genre of Tumblr post that juxtaposes excerpts and images around a central theme. Vivian Lam, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2023 Soon, the positive reviews of the performance that had yet to take place took a turn toward the comparative. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 26 May 2022 Why this matters: Reports from an independent testing organization like AV-Comparatives are important for the average PC user. Ian Paul, PCWorld, 1 Aug. 2017 Other poll comparatives from March fell like dominoes. David Paleologos, USA TODAY, 29 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comparative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see compare entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of comparative was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near comparative

Cite this Entry

“Comparative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comparative. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

comparative

1 of 2 adjective
com·​par·​a·​tive kəm-ˈpar-ət-iv How to pronounce comparative (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or constituting the degree of grammatical comparison that denotes increase in the quality, quantity, or relation expressed by an adjective or adverb
2
: measured by comparison : relative
a comparative stranger
3
: involving the study of things that are alike by comparing them
comparative anatomy
comparatively adverb

comparative

2 of 2 noun
: the comparative degree or a word form expressing it
"taller" is the comparative of "tall"

Medical Definition

comparative

adjective
com·​par·​a·​tive kəm-ˈpar-ət-iv How to pronounce comparative (audio)
: characterized by the systematic comparison of phenomena and especially of likenesses and dissimilarities
comparative anatomy
the study of blood types by comparative analysis

Legal Definition

comparative

adjective
com·​par·​a·​tive kəm-ˈpar-ə-tiv How to pronounce comparative (audio)
: characterized by systematic comparison
comparative contribution, which apportions according to…respective faultW. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
comparatively adverb

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