qualitative
- 01 C1 Advanced
describing how good something is or what it is like, rather than using numbers or measurements.
relating to distinctions based on quality, character, or attribute rather than numerical measurement.
Simple“The researchers conducted qualitative interviews to understand how the patients felt about the treatment.”
In context“The study relies on qualitative data gathered through open-ended surveys to capture the nuanced experiences of the participants.”
UsageOften contrasted with 'quantitative' in research and statistics.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
used to find out what substances are in a mixture, not how much of them there is.
relating to chemical analysis designed to identify the components of a substance or mixture.
Simple“A qualitative test showed that the water contained traces of lead.”
In context“Qualitative inorganic analysis was employed to determine the presence of specific metal ions within the unknown solution.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'qualitative analysis'.
Synonymsidentificatory - 03 C2 Proficiency
describing something that is of very good quality.
denoting high quality or excellence; used as a synonym for 'premium' or 'superior'.
Simple“The school is known for providing qualitative education to all its students.”
In context“The government has promised to invest more in qualitative infrastructure projects across the region.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is specific to Nigerian English; in other varieties, 'qualitative' is neutral and does not imply 'good'.
Usage appreciation qualitative · arise qualitative · merit qualitative
“Her method, she says, was unorthodox, being qualitative, not quantitative.”
“Qualitative research from March 2026 found that many scientists across disciplines view communicating uncertainty as a form of translation.”
From Late Latin (or Medieval Latin) quālitātīvus. Equivalent to quality + -ative.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.