comparative
gb/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv/ us/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv/
B1
English
~ 6100
összehasonlító, középfokú, viszonylagos, középfok, középfokú alak
B2
1
Usage pattern:
comparative [study/analysis/approach] of [things]
The report offers a comparative analysis of health systems in five European countries.
A jelentés öt európai ország egészségügyi rendszeréről ad összehasonlító elemzést.
She is doing a comparative study of urban and rural schools.
Összehasonlító tanulmányt készít a városi és a vidéki iskolákról.
Comparative research can show how different policies affect similar groups of people.
He specializes in comparative literature, focusing on links between French and Japanese novels.
The company carried out a comparative review of several cloud providers before choosing one.
Learner examples
We read a comparative study of two big cities.
Két nagyvárosról szóló összehasonlító tanulmányt olvastunk.
The teacher asked us to write a comparative essay about these stories.
A tanár azt kérte, hogy írjunk összehasonlító esszét ezekről a történetekről.
This book gives a comparative look at different school systems.
They did a comparative analysis of prices in three supermarkets.
My sister is interested in comparative religion at university.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'comparative' with 'compatible'. 'Comparative' is used when two or more things are actively compared (a comparative study, comparative analysis), while 'compatible' means that things can work or exist together without problems.
Meaning
involving comparison of things
Collocations
comparative study
|comparative analysis
|comparative approach
|comparative research
|comparative literature
|comparative data
Synonyms
relative (Often used similarly in academic texts, but can also mean 'not absolute'; 'comparative' more strongly suggests a deliberate act of comparison.)
|
contrastive (More technical and narrower, focusing on highlighting differences rather than general comparison.)
Antonyms
absolute (Describes something considered on its own, not in relation to something else or through comparison.)
|
single (Suggests looking at only one case or item, without comparing it to others.)
Themes
education
|science
|business
Definition
Describing something that compares two or more things in order to see how they are different or similar.
Involving the process of comparing two or more things, especially in a study, analysis, or description.
B1
TECHNICAL
2
középfokú
B1
Usage pattern:
comparative [adjective/adverb/form/degree]
In the phrase 'a taller building', 'taller' is the comparative adjective.
Az „a taller building” kifejezésben a „taller” középfokú melléknév.
The comparative form of 'quickly' is 'more quickly'.
A „quickly” középfokú alakja a „more quickly”.
English has both short comparatives like 'faster' and longer ones like 'more interesting'.
Students often confuse the comparative and superlative forms of irregular adjectives.
The teacher wrote several comparative structures on the board for practice.
Learner examples
The comparative of 'big' is 'bigger'.
A „big” középfoka a „bigger”.
We learned how to make comparative adjectives today.
Ma megtanultuk, hogyan kell középfokú mellékneveket képezni.
Use the comparative form when you talk about two people or things.
Is 'more beautiful' a comparative adjective?
He made many mistakes with comparative and superlative forms.
Common mistake:
Learners often say *'more big'* instead of the correct comparative 'bigger', or they use a superlative form like 'the biggest' when only two things are compared, where a comparative is more natural.
Meaning
showing higher degree in grammar
Collocations
comparative adjective
|comparative adverb
|comparative form
|comparative degree
|comparative structure
Synonyms
higher-degree (A descriptive phrase sometimes used in grammar explanations; broader and less standard as a set term than 'comparative'.)
Antonyms
superlative (Names the grammatical form that expresses the highest degree, contrasting with the comparative, which is only higher than something else, not the highest overall.)
|
positive (The basic form of an adjective or adverb, with no comparison, such as 'big' or 'slow'.)
Themes
language
|education
|communication
Definition
Used about the form of an adjective or adverb that means there is a higher level of something, like 'bigger' or 'more slowly'.
Describing the form of an adjective or adverb that shows a higher degree of a quality, usually made with -er or with 'more'.
B2
3
viszonylagos
B2
Usage pattern:
in comparative [safety/comfort/freedom]
They moved to the countryside in search of comparative safety.
A viszonylagos biztonság reményében vidékre költöztek.
The new job offers comparative freedom to choose my working hours.
Az új állás viszonylagos szabadságot ad abban, hogy megválasszam a munkaidőmet.
After months in a war zone, the quiet town felt like a place of comparative peace.
He now lives in comparative comfort after years of financial struggle.
Thanks to the new regulations, workers enjoy comparative security in their contracts.
Learner examples
We left the city for the comparative safety of a small town.
A városból egy kisváros viszonylagos biztonságába költöztünk.
Her life is now one of comparative comfort.
Most viszonylagos kényelemben él.
The children can play here in comparative freedom.
After the storm, the house was in comparative silence.
Online shopping gives people comparative ease when buying things.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'comparative safety' means something is completely safe. It actually means 'safer than something else, but not perfectly safe'. It is often used with a slight feeling that the situation is still not ideal.
Meaning
relative, not absolute
Collocations
comparative safety
|comparative freedom
|comparative comfort
|comparative silence
|comparative ease
Synonyms
relative (Very close in meaning; 'comparative' slightly emphasizes that the judgment comes from a mental comparison with something else.)
|
moderate (Can overlap when something is somewhat good but not fully; does not always imply explicit comparison like 'comparative' does.)
Antonyms
absolute (Describes something complete or total, not depending on a comparison with something else.)
|
utter (Emphasizes a quality to an extreme degree, rather than in a limited or merely comparative way.)
Themes
daily life
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to say that something is better, safer, or easier only when you compare it with another thing, not in a perfect or absolute way.
Describing a condition or quality that is judged only in relation to something else and not on an absolute scale, often implying that it is better or safer than before or than another situation.
NOUN
B1
TECHNICAL
4
középfok
B1
Usage pattern:
the comparative of [adjective/adverb]
The comparative of 'good' is 'better'.
A „good” középfoka a „better”.
In this exercise, write the comparative and superlative for each adjective.
Ebben a feladatban írd le minden melléknév középfokú és felsőfokú alakját.
Students often forget to double the final consonant when forming the comparative.
Not all adjectives have a one-word comparative; some use 'more' instead.
The teacher underlined each comparative on the worksheet.
Learner examples
What is the comparative of 'happy'?
Mi a „happy” középfoka?
We learned ten new comparatives today.
Ma tíz új középfokú alakot tanultunk.
Please write the comparative and superlative of each word.
Some comparatives are made with 'more', not with '-er'.
The comparative of 'far' can be 'farther' or 'further'.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix the terms and call the comparative a 'superlative' or say 'the more form'. They may also forget that some comparatives are irregular, like 'better' and 'worse'.
Meaning
the comparative grammatical form
Collocations
form the comparative
|use the comparative
|comparative of 'good'
|regular comparative
|irregular comparative
Synonyms
comparative form (A slightly longer but equally common way to refer to the same grammatical idea.)
Antonyms
superlative (Names the grammatical form that expresses the highest degree, in contrast to the comparative, which only shows 'more' than something else.)
|
positive (The basic, unmarked form of an adjective or adverb, such as 'small' or 'carefully'.)
Themes
language
|education
|communication
Definition
The special form of an adjective or adverb that means there is a higher level of something, like 'taller' from 'tall' or 'more slowly' from 'slowly'.
The form of an adjective or adverb that shows a higher degree of a quality, such as 'smaller' or 'more careful'.
Grammar
Dictionary form
comparative
IPA
GB/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv/
US/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv/
Syllables & stress
com - par - at - ive (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (par)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: comparative
Noun
- Base: comparative
- Plural: comparatives
Word family
Forms
comparatives
noun
Core family
Related words
comparable
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
incomparable
adjective
Advanced or less common
comparability
noun
comparably
adverb
Expressions
comparative advantage
1/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv ædvˈæntɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
technical
lower opportunity cost in production
In economics, the idea that a person, company, or country can make a product or service at a lower cost compared with others, so it is better for them to focus on that thing.
Examples
- According to the theory of comparative advantage, countries should specialize in what they produce most efficiently.
- The nation has a comparative advantage in agricultural products because of its rich soil.
- Global trade patterns are strongly influenced by each region's comparative advantage.
comparative analysis
1/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv ænˈælɪsɪs/
fixed phrase
an analysis that compares things
A careful study that looks at two or more things and compares them to see how they are similar or different.
Examples
- The researchers conducted a comparative analysis of energy use in different cities.
- Our comparative analysis shows that this product performs better than its main competitor.
comparative literature
1/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv lˈɪtɚət͡ʃɚ/
fixed phrase
field comparing different literatures
A subject at university where people study and compare books and other writings from different languages, countries, or cultures.
Examples
- He decided to major in comparative literature at university.
- Comparative literature often involves reading texts in their original languages.
comparative religion
1/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv ɹɪlˈɪd͡ʒən/
fixed phrase
field comparing different religions
A field of study where people look at different religions and compare their beliefs, practices, and histories.
Examples
- She took a course in comparative religion during her first year at college.
- Comparative religion helps students understand both similarities and differences between faiths.
comparative study
1/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv stˈʌdi/
fixed phrase
research comparing multiple cases
An academic or scientific study that looks at two or more groups, places, or things and compares them.
Examples
- She is writing a comparative study of education systems in Asia and Europe.
- The book is a comparative study of three major world religions.
in comparative terms
1/ˈɪn kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv tˈɚmz/
fixed phrase
formal
expressed in relative terms
Used to say that you are talking about something by comparing it with something else, not by looking at it alone.
Examples
- In comparative terms, this city is still quite safe.
- The company is small, but in comparative terms its profits are impressive.