comparative
gb/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv/ us/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv/
B1
Inglês
~ 6100
Aceções
0 aceções
adjective
B2
property
1
involving comparison of things
Describing something that compares two or more things in order to see how they are different or similar.
Padrão de uso:
comparative [study/analysis/approach] of [things]
Erro comum:
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.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocações
comparative study
|comparative analysis
|comparative approach
|comparative research
|comparative literature
|comparative data
Temas
education
|science
|business
Exemplos
- The report offers a comparative analysis of health systems in five European countries.
- She is doing a comparative study of urban and rural schools.
- 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.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- We read a comparative study of two big cities.
- The teacher asked us to write a comparative essay about these stories.
- 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.
adjective
technical
B1
property
2
showing higher degree in grammar
Used about the form of an adjective or adverb that means there is a higher level of something, like 'bigger' or 'more slowly'.
Padrão de uso:
comparative [adjective/adverb/form/degree]
Erro comum:
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.
Sinónimos
higher-degree (A descriptive phrase sometimes used in grammar explanations; broader and less standard as a set term than 'comparative'.)
Antónimos
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'.)
Colocações
comparative adjective
|comparative adverb
|comparative form
|comparative degree
|comparative structure
Temas
language
|education
|communication
Exemplos
- In the phrase 'a taller building', 'taller' is the comparative adjective.
- The comparative form of 'quickly' is '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.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The comparative of 'big' is 'bigger'.
- We learned how to make comparative adjectives today.
- 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.
adjective
B2
property
3
relative, not absolute
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.
Padrão de uso:
in comparative [safety/comfort/freedom]
Erro comum:
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.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocações
comparative safety
|comparative freedom
|comparative comfort
|comparative silence
|comparative ease
Temas
daily life
|society
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- They moved to the countryside in search of comparative safety.
- The new job offers comparative freedom to choose my working hours.
- 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.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- We left the city for the comparative safety of a small town.
- Her life is now one of comparative comfort.
- 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.
Nome
technical
B1
entity
4
the comparative grammatical form
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'.
Padrão de uso:
the comparative of [adjective/adverb]
Erro comum:
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'.
Sinónimos
comparative form (A slightly longer but equally common way to refer to the same grammatical idea.)
Antónimos
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'.)
Colocações
form the comparative
|use the comparative
|comparative of 'good'
|regular comparative
|irregular comparative
Temas
language
|education
|communication
Exemplos
- The comparative of 'good' is 'better'.
- In this exercise, write the comparative and superlative for each adjective.
- 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.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- What is the comparative of 'happy'?
- We learned ten new comparatives today.
- 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'.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
comparative
IPA
GB/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv/
US/kəmpˈɛɹɪtɪv/
Sílabas e acento
com - par - at - ive (4 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (par)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: comparative
Noun
- Base: comparative
- Plural: comparatives
Família de palavras
Forms
comparatives
noun
Core family
Related words
comparable
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
incomparable
adjective
Advanced or less common
comparability
noun
comparably
adverb
Expressões
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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- In comparative terms, this city is still quite safe.
- The company is small, but in comparative terms its profits are impressive.