Word
adjective
Phoneticsad·jec·tive, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈædʒɪktɪv/
UK/ˈædʒɪktˌɪv/
Definitions
01grammar
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. a word that describes a person, place, or thing.
n. a word that modifies a noun or noun phrase to provide additional information about its referent.
“In the phrase 'the blue sky', the word 'blue' is an adjective.”
“The student struggled to identify the compound adjective in the sentence, mistakenly labeling the first element as an adverb.”
Synonyms
02grammatical
C1 · Advanced Technical
adj. relating to or acting like an adjective.
adj. pertaining to or functioning as an adjective within a syntactic structure.
“The word has an adjective form that is used in formal writing.”
“The linguist analyzed the adjective use of the noun, noting how it shifted the semantic focus of the entire phrase.”
Synonyms
03legal procedure
C2 · Proficiency Law Technical · Formal
adj. describing the rules for how a law is carried out, rather than the law itself.
adj. relating to the methods of enforcement and rules of procedure in a legal system, as opposed to substantive law.
“The lawyer studied the adjective law to understand the court's rules.”
“The judge dismissed the case based on a violation of adjective law, ruling that the filing procedure had not been strictly followed.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04dyeing process
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical
adj. describing a dye that needs a special chemical to stay on the fabric.
adj. referring to a dye that requires a mordant to become fixed to the material being dyed.
“This specific adjective dye will wash out unless you use a fixative.”
“The chemist explained that adjective colors are less stable than substantive ones without the application of a metallic salt.”
Antonyms
05to turn into an adjective
C2 · Proficiency Technical · Formal
v. to change a word into an adjective or use an adjective to describe something.
v. to convert a word into an adjective or to characterize something by using an adjective.
“It is common to adjective a noun in modern English, like 'coffee cup'.”
“The author tended to adjective his subjects with such density that the narrative pace slowed significantly.”
Synonyms
Usage
In English, typically precedes the noun it modifies (attributive position) or follows a linking verb (predicative position).
Real-World Examples
“Defined by the dictionary as an adjective “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”, editors said that use of the term “post-truth” had increased by around 2,000% in 2016 compared to last year.” “The dictionary defines the adjective, incidentally, as “of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially: having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality”.” Etymology
From Middle English adjectif, adjective, from Old French adjectif, from Latin adiectivus, from adiciō + -īvus, from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + iaciō (“throw”). The Latin word adiectivus in turn was a calque of Ancient Greek ἐπιθετικόν (epithetikón, “added”), a derivative of the compound verb ἐπιτίθημι (epitíthēmi), from which also comes epithet.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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