proceeding by, founded on, or using comparison as a method of study: comparative anatomy.
3.
estimated by comparison; not positive or absolute; relative: a comparative newcomer in politics; to live in comparative luxury.
4.
Grammar. being, noting, or pertaining to the intermediate degree of the comparison of adjectives, as better and more beautiful, the comparative forms of good and beautiful, and of adverbs, as nearer and more carefully, the comparative forms of near and carefully.Compare positive(def. 20), superlative(def. 2).
–noun Grammar.
5.
the comparative degree.
6.
a form in the comparative.
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME < L comparātīvus, equiv. to comparāt(us) (ptp. of comparāre to compare; see -ate1) + -īvus-ive]
Of or relating to the scientific or historical comparison of different phenomena, institutions, or objects, such as languages, legal systems, or anatomical structures, in an effort to understand their origins or relationships.
Estimated by comparison; relative: a comparative newcomer.
Grammar Of, relating to, or being the intermediate degree of comparison of adjectives, as better, sweeter, or more wonderful, or adverbs, as more softly.
n.
Grammar
The comparative degree.
An adjective or adverb expressing the comparative degree.
com·par'a·tive·ly adv.
Our Living Language: Speakers of vernacular dialects often use double comparatives and superlatives such as more higher and most fastest. Although such constructions may seem redundant or even illogical, in reality both standard and nonstandard varieties of all languages are replete with such constructions. In English the redundant comparative dates back to the 1500s. Prior to this, in Old and Middle English, suffixes, rather than a preceding more or most, almost always marked the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs, regardless of word length. In the Early Modern English period (c. 1500-1800), more and most constructions became more common. The Modern English rule governing the distribution of -er/-est and more/most had not yet arisen, and such forms as eminenter, impudentest, and beautifullest occurred together with constructions like more near, most poor, and most foul. Double markings were commonly used to indicate special emphasis, and they do not appear to have been socially disfavored. In fact, even Shakespeare used double comparatives and superlatives, as in Mark Antony's statement "This was the most unkindest cut of all" from Julius Caesar. Nowadays, although double comparatives and superlatives are not considered standard usage, they are kept alive in vernacular dialects. See Notes at might2, plural, redundancy.
relating to or based on or involving comparison; "comparative linguistics"
2.
estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete; "a relative stranger" [syn: relative] [ant: absolute]
noun
1.
the comparative form of an adjective or adverb; "'faster' is the comparative of the adjective 'fast'"; "'less famous' is the comparative degree of the adjective 'famous'"; "'more surely' is the comparative of the adverb 'surely'"
judged by comparing with something else Example: the comparative quiet of the suburbs
Arabic:
مُقارِن، مُشابِه
Chinese (Simplified):
比较的
Chinese (Traditional):
比較的
Czech:
poměrný
Danish:
relativ; nogenlunde; forholdsvis
Dutch:
betrekkelijk
Estonian:
suhteline
Finnish:
suhteellinen
French:
relatif
German:
verhältnismäßig
Greek:
σχετικός
Hungarian:
viszonylagos
Icelandic:
samanburðar-
Indonesian:
relatif
Italian:
relativo
Japanese:
比較的
Korean:
비교에 의한
Latvian:
salīdzinošs; relatīvs
Lithuanian:
santykinis
Norwegian:
relativ, noenlunde, forholdsvis
Polish:
względny
Portuguese (Brazil):
relativo
Portuguese (Portugal):
relativo
Romanian:
relativ
Russian:
относительный
Slovak:
porovnávací
Slovenian:
sorazmeren
Spanish:
relativo
Swedish:
relativ
Turkish:
göreceli
comparative2[kəmˈpӕrətiv]adjective
(of an adjective or adverb used in comparisons) between positive and superlative, as the following underlined words Example: a bigger book; a better man; Blacker is a comparative adjective; (also noun) What is the comparative of `bad'?
A form of an adjective indicating a greater degree of the quality that the adjective describes. Better is the comparative form of good; faster is the comparative form of fast; bluer is the comparative form of blue; more charming is the comparative form of charming. (Comparesuperlative.)
Ab"so*lute\, a. [L. absolutus, p. p. of absolvere: cf. F. absolu. See Absolve.]1. Loosed from any limitation or condition; uncontrolled; unrestricted; unconditional; as, absolute authority, monarchy, sovereignty, an absolute promise or command; absolute power; an absolute monarch. 2. Complete in itself; perfect; consummate; faultless; as, absolute perfection; absolute beauty. So absolute she seems, And in herself complete. --Milton. 3. Viewed apart from modifying influences or without comparison with other objects; actual; real; -- opposed to relative and comparative; as, absolute motion; absolute time or space. Note: Absolute rights and duties are such as pertain to man in a state of nature as contradistinguished from relative rights and duties, or such as pertain to him in his social relations. 4. Loosed from, or unconnected by, dependence on any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing. Note: In this sense God is called the Absolute by the Theist. The term is also applied by the Pantheist to the universe, or the total of all existence, as only capable of relations in its parts to each other and to the whole, and as dependent for its existence and its phenomena on its mutually depending forces and their laws. 5. Capable of being thought or conceived by itself alone; unconditioned; non-relative. Note: It is in dispute among philosopher whether the term, in this sense, is not applied to a mere logical fiction or abstraction, or whether the absolute, as thus defined, can be known, as a reality, by the human intellect. To Cusa we can indeed articulately trace, word and thing, the recent philosophy of the absolute. --Sir W. Hamilton. 6. Positive; clear; certain; not doubtful. [R.] I am absolute 't was very Cloten. --Shak. 7. Authoritative; peremptory. [R.] The peddler stopped, and tapped her on the head, With absolute forefinger, brown and ringed. --Mrs. Browning. 8. (Chem.) Pure; unmixed; as, absolute alcohol. 9. (Gram.) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence in government; as, the case absolute. See Ablative absolute, under Ablative. Absolute curvature (Geom.), that curvature of a curve of double curvature, which is measured in the osculating plane of the curve. Absolute equation (Astron.), the sum of the optic and eccentric equations. Absolute space (Physics), space considered without relation to material limits or objects. Absolute terms. (Alg.), such as are known, or which do not contain the unknown quantity. --Davies & Peck. Absolute temperature (Physics), the temperature as measured on a scale determined by certain general thermo-dynamic principles, and reckoned from the absolute zero. Absolute zero (Physics), the be ginning, or zero point, in the scale of absolute temperature. It is equivalent to -273[deg] centigrade or -459.4[deg] Fahrenheit. Syn: Positive; peremptory; certain; unconditional; unlimited; unrestricted; unqualified; arbitrary; despotic; autocratic.
Com*par"a*tive\, a. [L. comparativus: cf. F. comparatif.]1. Of or pertaining to comparison. "The comparative faculty." --Glanvill. 2. Proceeding from, or by the method of, comparison; as, the comparative sciences; the comparative anatomy. 3. Estimated by comparison; relative; not positive or absolute, as compared with another thing or state. The recurrence of comparative warmth and cold. --Whewell. The bubble, by reason of its comparative levity to the fluid that incloses it, would necessarily ascend to the top. --Bentley. 4. (Gram.) Expressing a degree greater or less than the positive degree of the quality denoted by an adjective or adverb. The comparative degree is formed from the positive by the use of -er, more, or less; as, brighter, more bright, or less bright. Comparative sciences, those which are based on a comprehensive comparison of the range of objects or facts in any branch or department, and which aim to study out and treat of the fundamental laws or systems of relation pervading them; as, comparative anatomy, comparative physiology, comparative philology.
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