qualifiers
n. countablen. words or phrases that change how strong or certain another word feels. You use them to make a description more specific, like saying something is 'very' hot instead of just 'hot'.
n. words or phrases that modify the intensity or certainty of another word, typically an adjective or adverb. Often used to limit or enhance the force of an assertion.
Words like 'very' and 'quite' are common qualifiers.
The lawyer used several qualifiers in her statement to ensure she did not sound too certain about the witness's memory.
Academic writing often requires the use of qualifiers such as 'possibly' or 'suggests' to avoid making overly broad claims that cannot be supported by the current data.
Usually placed immediately before the word they modify.
He is a very perfect studentHe is a perfect studentQualifiers like 'very' should not be used with non-gradable adjectives that already represent an extreme or absolute state.