Quantitative

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈkwɒntɪtətɪv/

Definitions

1. Relating to or measured by the amount or number of something rather than its quality
2. Pertaining to measuring and assessing amounts or numbers instead of qualities, emphasizing numerical data and statistics
3. Describing aspects that can be expressed in numerical terms rather than in subjective qualities

Etymology: "Quantitative" is a plain formation: it comes from Late Latin "quantitātīvus", built on "quantitās" (quantity) with the suffix "-ivus", meaning "tending toward or relating to." English took the adjective from that Latin base, and its meaning stays close to the original: something quantitative concerns how much of a thing there is, measured in amounts rather than qualities. The word's most useful contrast is with "qualitative," which shares the same pattern and the same root "quality" in its own form. Together the pair divides description into two kinds: measuring how much, and describing what kind. Studies, data, and arguments are often labelled one or the other, which is why the two adjectives tend to appear side by side.

Synonyms: numerical, measurable, countable

Antonyms: qualitative