Meaning of “comparative” in the English Dictionary

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"comparative" in English

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comparativenoun [ C ]

uk ​ /kəmˈpær.ə.tɪv/ us ​ /kəmˈper.ə.t̬ɪv/ specialized

A2 the form of an adjective or adverb that expresses a difference in amount, number, degree, or quality:

"Fatter" is the comparative of "fat".
"More difficult" is the comparative of "difficult".

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Grammar

Any and comparativesWe use any with comparative adjectives and adverbs: …
Comparison: adjectives (bigger, biggest, more interesting) …
Comparative and superlative adjectives …
Comparative and superlative adjectives: form …
Comparative adjectives: using much, a lot, far, etc.We can strengthen or emphasise a comparative adjective using words such as much, a lot, far, even or rather, or by using than ever after the adjective: …
Comparative adjectives: using thanWe use than when we mention the second person or thing in the comparison. If the second person mentioned takes the form of a personal pronoun, we normally use the object form of the pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, them): …
Comparative adjectives: -erand -er, more and moreTo talk about how a person or thing is changing and gaining more of a particular quality, we can use two -er form adjectives connected by and, or we can use more and more before an adjective. We don’t follow such comparisons with than: …
Comparative adjectives: the -er, the -er and the more …, the more …If a person or things gains more of a particular quality and this causes a parallel increase of another quality, we can repeat the + a comparative adjective: …
Reduced forms after comparativesAfter than, we often don’t repeat subject pronouns with impersonal subjects, or auxiliary verbs with passive voice verbs: …
Less and not as/not so with comparativesWe use less with longer adjectives (interesting, beautiful, complicated), but we don’t normally use less with short adjectives of one syllable (big, good, high, small). Instead we use not as … as …, or not so … as … Not as is more common than not so: …
Prepositions after superlative adjectivesWe don’t normally use of before a singular name of a place or group after a superlative adjective: …
The with superlative adjectivesWhen a superlative adjective is followed by a noun, we normally use the: …
Other determiners with superlative adjectivesBefore a superlative adjective, we can use a possessive determiner (my, his, their), or the + a number (two, three, first, second), or a possessive determiner + a number: …
Emphasising superlative adjectivesWe can make a superlative adjective stronger with by far, easily or of all: …
To-infinitives after superlative adjectivesWe can use a to-infinitive after a superlative adjective, with a meaning similar to a relative clause with who, which or that: …
Comparative adjectives: typical errors …
Comparison: adverbs (worse, more easily) …
Adverbs: comparative and superlative formsAdverbs do not normally change in form, but a few have comparative and superlative forms. These are usually short adverbs and so they normally have comparative and superlative forms with -er and -est. …
Adverbs with more and mostAdverbs with two or more syllables form the comparative and superlative with more and most: …
Well and badlyThe adverb well has the same comparative and superlative forms as the adjective good (better, best). The adverb badly has the comparative and superlative forms worse, worst: …
Comparative adverbs: using thanWhen we mention the second person or thing in the comparison, we use than. We do not use that or as. If the second person mentioned takes the form of a personal pronoun, we normally use the object form of the pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, them): …
Comparison: clauses (bigger than we had imagined)The second part of a comparison (underlined) is often a clause: …
Comparison: comparisons of equality (as tall as his father) …
Comparative formsFarther and further are comparative adverbs or adjectives. They are the irregular comparative forms of far. We use them to talk about distance. There is no difference in meaning between them. Further is more common: …
Superlative formsFarthest and furthest are superlative adjectives or adverbs. They are the irregular superlative forms of far. We use them to talk about distance. There is no difference in meaning between them. Furthest is more common than farthest: …

comparativeadjective

uk ​ /kəmˈpær.ə.tɪv/ us ​ /kəmˈper.ə.t̬ɪv/

Grammar

Any and comparativesWe use any with comparative adjectives and adverbs: …
Comparison: adjectives (bigger, biggest, more interesting) …
Comparative and superlative adjectives …
Comparative and superlative adjectives: form …
Comparative adjectives: using much, a lot, far, etc.We can strengthen or emphasise a comparative adjective using words such as much, a lot, far, even or rather, or by using than ever after the adjective: …
Comparative adjectives: using thanWe use than when we mention the second person or thing in the comparison. If the second person mentioned takes the form of a personal pronoun, we normally use the object form of the pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, them): …
Comparative adjectives: -erand -er, more and moreTo talk about how a person or thing is changing and gaining more of a particular quality, we can use two -er form adjectives connected by and, or we can use more and more before an adjective. We don’t follow such comparisons with than: …
Comparative adjectives: the -er, the -er and the more …, the more …If a person or things gains more of a particular quality and this causes a parallel increase of another quality, we can repeat the + a comparative adjective: …
Reduced forms after comparativesAfter than, we often don’t repeat subject pronouns with impersonal subjects, or auxiliary verbs with passive voice verbs: …
Less and not as/not so with comparativesWe use less with longer adjectives (interesting, beautiful, complicated), but we don’t normally use less with short adjectives of one syllable (big, good, high, small). Instead we use not as … as …, or not so … as … Not as is more common than not so: …
Prepositions after superlative adjectivesWe don’t normally use of before a singular name of a place or group after a superlative adjective: …
The with superlative adjectivesWhen a superlative adjective is followed by a noun, we normally use the: …
Other determiners with superlative adjectivesBefore a superlative adjective, we can use a possessive determiner (my, his, their), or the + a number (two, three, first, second), or a possessive determiner + a number: …
Emphasising superlative adjectivesWe can make a superlative adjective stronger with by far, easily or of all: …
To-infinitives after superlative adjectivesWe can use a to-infinitive after a superlative adjective, with a meaning similar to a relative clause with who, which or that: …
Comparative adjectives: typical errors …
Comparison: adverbs (worse, more easily) …
Adverbs: comparative and superlative formsAdverbs do not normally change in form, but a few have comparative and superlative forms. These are usually short adverbs and so they normally have comparative and superlative forms with -er and -est. …
Adverbs with more and mostAdverbs with two or more syllables form the comparative and superlative with more and most: …
Well and badlyThe adverb well has the same comparative and superlative forms as the adjective good (better, best). The adverb badly has the comparative and superlative forms worse, worst: …
Comparative adverbs: using thanWhen we mention the second person or thing in the comparison, we use than. We do not use that or as. If the second person mentioned takes the form of a personal pronoun, we normally use the object form of the pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, them): …
Comparison: clauses (bigger than we had imagined)The second part of a comparison (underlined) is often a clause: …
Comparison: comparisons of equality (as tall as his father) …
Comparative formsFarther and further are comparative adverbs or adjectives. They are the irregular comparative forms of far. We use them to talk about distance. There is no difference in meaning between them. Further is more common: …
Superlative formsFarthest and furthest are superlative adjectives or adverbs. They are the irregular superlative forms of far. We use them to talk about distance. There is no difference in meaning between them. Furthest is more common than farthest: …

(Definition of “comparative” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"comparative" in American English

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comparativenoun [ C ]

us ​ /kəmˈpær·ət̬·ɪv/

comparative noun [ C ] (GRAMMAR)

› grammar the form of an adjective or adverb that shows the thing or action described has more of the quality than some others of the same type:

“Faster” is the comparative of “fast.”
“Better” is the comparative of “good.”

comparativeadjective [ not gradable ]

us ​ /kəmˈpær·ət̬·ɪv/

comparative adjective [ not gradable ] (EXAMINING DIFFERENCES)

› considering the differences between one thing and another:

The research examined the comparative effectiveness of the two medical treatments.
comparatively
adverb us ​ /kəmˈpær·ət̬·ɪv·li/

›

The job was comparatively well paid, as factory jobs go.

(Definition of “comparative” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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