qualitative

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈkwɑ.ləˌteɪ.tɪv/ UK /ˈkwɒl.ɪ.tə.tɪv/ See IPA manual

Freq #91001

Meanings

1

adj
Based on the qualities or nature of something rather than on numbers or amounts.

The study used interviews to gather qualitative data about people's feelings.
2

adj
Involving a change in kind or character rather than in quantity.

Moving abroad brought a qualitative change in the way she saw the world.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · based on the qualities or... nonquantitative

Word family

Derived forms nonqualitativepseudoqualitativequalitativelyqualitativenessqualitativistsemiqualitativeunqualitative

Related forms quality

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

qualitative data
information describing qualities or experiences rather than numerical measurements

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Late Latin (or Medieval Latin) quālitātīvus. Equivalent to quality + -ative.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# qualitative

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈkwɑ.ləˌteɪ.tɪv/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkwɒl.ɪ.tə.tɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 91001

## Meanings
1. Based on the qualities or nature of something rather than on numbers or amounts.
2. Involving a change in kind or character rather than in quantity.

## Examples
- The study used interviews to gather qualitative data about people's feelings.
- Moving abroad brought a qualitative change in the way she saw the world.

## Derived Forms
- nonqualitative
- pseudoqualitative
- qualitatively
- qualitativeness
- qualitativist
- semiqualitative
- unqualitative

## Related Forms
- quality

## Etymology
From Late Latin (or Medieval Latin) quālitātīvus. Equivalent to quality + -ative.

## AI Etymology
Qualitative is from Late Latin (or Medieval Latin) quālitātīvus. Equivalent to quality + -ative. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern form is built from the named base and affix. Current senses include based on the qualities or nature of something rather than on numbers or amounts and involving a change in kind or character rather than in quantity. The wider family includes derived forms such as nonqualitative, pseudoqualitative, qualitatively, qualitativeness, and qualitativist; related words such as quality.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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