ad´jec|tive|ly

ad|jec|tive «AJ ihk tihv», noun, adjective.

–n.

1. a word that describes more fully the name of a person, animal, or thing. An adjective is said to modify a noun by qualifying or limiting a word or phrase used as a noun. In “a tiny brook,” “The day is warm,” “great happiness,” and “this pencil,” tiny, warm, great, and this are adjectives; in “a blue shirt,” blue is a descriptive adjective; in “his book,” his is a limiting adjective.

2. the form class, or part of speech, in many languages, comprising such words. Abbr: adj.

–adj.

1. of an adjective.

2. used as an adjective.

3. not standing by itself; dependent.

4. Law. relating to procedure; not substantive.

5. requiring the use of a mordant to make permanent: »

an adjective dye.

╂[< Latin (nōmen) adjectīvum, neuter of adjectīvus added < adjicere add to < ad- to + jacere throw]

–ad´jec|tive|ly, adverb.

Usage Adjectives can be indentified by features of form or of position. Most adjectives can come between an article and a noun, and can stand singly after linking verbs, such as be and seem; most adjectives can express degrees of comparison by being preceded by more and most or (in the case of certain short or common adjectives) by taking the endings -er and -est.