comparative
Measuring against another
Comparative relates to comparison—examining things side by side to assess similarities or differences.
A comparative study analyzes two or more subjects.
Comparative literature examines works across languages and cultures.
In grammar, the comparative is the form of an adjective or adverb expressing a higher degree: bigger, more carefully.
Something that is comparative exists only in relation to something else: The town offered comparative safety—safer than elsewhere, though not absolutely safe.
Unit of measurement
- superlativeHighest-degree word form
- positiveAffirming or certain
- moreAdditional quantity
- mostGreatest in number
Word-ending addition
- inflectionWord form alteration
- -erComparative or agent ending
- moreAdditional quantity
- irregularDeviating from normal patterns
better · worse · elder · farther · further · periphrastic · analytic · synthetic
Of higher quality
- worseMore unfavorable than before
- greaterMore in degree
- lesserLower in degree
- strongerHaving greater power
weaker · faster · slower · higher · lower · larger · smaller · richer
Body of written works
- religionSystem of spiritual belief
- politicsGovernmental power struggles
- anatomyStudy of organism structure
- linguisticsScience of language structure
mythology · psychology · analysis · study · method · approach · framework · perspective
State of being related
- siblingBrother or sister
- cousinAunt or uncle's child
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
- descendantPerson from earlier generations
nephew · niece · uncle · aunt · grandparent · grandchild · family · lineage
degree
Unit of measurement
- superlativeHighest-degree word form
- positiveAffirming or certain
- moreAdditional quantity
most · less · least · -er · -est · than · as · modifier · gradable · intensifier
suffix
Word-ending addition
- inflectionWord form alteration
- -erComparative or agent ending
- moreAdditional quantity
irregular · better · worse · elder · farther · further · periphrastic · analytic · synthetic · gradation
better
Of higher quality
stronger · weaker · faster · slower · higher · lower · larger · smaller · richer · poorer
literature
Body of written works
- religionSystem of spiritual belief
- politicsGovernmental power struggles
- anatomyStudy of organism structure
linguistics · mythology · psychology · analysis · study · method · approach · framework · perspective · cross-cultural
kinship
State of being related
descendant · nephew · niece · uncle · aunt · grandparent · grandchild · family · lineage · genealogy
- morphologymorphemes, morpheme, affixes, affix, suffixes
- comparisoncontrast, superlative, matching, positive, ranking
- comparisonsanalogy, metaphor, simile, allegory, parable
- grammar termsnoun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun
- research methodsexperiment, hypothesis, deduction, experiments, induction
- Chinese grammarword order, sentence structure, classifiers, negation, syntax rules
comparativeabsolute
Total, without qualification
unqualified · unconditional · outright · categorical · pure
comparativenoncomparative
Not admitting degrees
absolute · isolated · standalone · intrinsic · independent
- comparative advantageLowest opportunity cost production
- comparative studyExamination of similarities and differences
- comparative essayText analyzing similarities and differences
- comparative anatomyStudy of structural similarities between organisms
- comparative analysisSystematic comparison of subjects