qualitative

[ kwol-i-tey-tiv ]

adjective

1. pertaining to or concerned with quality or qualities.

qualitative

/ ˈkwɒlɪtətɪv; -ˌteɪ- /

adjective

1. involving or relating to distinctions based on quality or qualities Compare quantitative

Derived Forms

• ˈqualitatively, adverb

Other Words From

• qual·i·ta·tive·ly adverb
• non·qual·i·ta·tive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of qualitative¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Late Latin quālitātīvus, equivalent to quālitāt- (stem of quālitās ) quality + -īvus -ive

Example Sentences

“There are statistics but there was no qualitative research. No one had written the history of caste through the vantage point of Dalit women, so I decided that I wanted to do this work.”

From BBC

But Prof Larner said the university's strategy was about "qualitative change, not just quantitative change" which would involve developing new sources of income and different ways of delivering courses.

From BBC

As MSNBC’s Steve Benen correctly observed, ”There is… a qualitative difference between whining about fact-checking and publicly raising the idea of using governmental power to strip a major American outlet of its broadcasting license.”

From Salon

Miles Coleman, the associate editor at Sabato’s Crystal Ball, described the process of creating ratings in an interview, and in some ways the decisions that quantitative and qualitative handicappers make are comparable.

From Salon

It also said it launched drones targeting “a qualitative Israeli military target that will be announced later.”

From Los Angeles Times