What does "adjective" mean?
A word that modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes a noun’s referent.
Adjective
/ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A word that modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes a noun’s referent.
- Grammar: adjective is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: describing word, adjectify, adjectival, adjectival.
- Useful contrasts: substantive, action word, adnoun.
- Usage evidence: In English there are eight main parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction and finally interjection.
How to use "adjective"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "adjective" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "adjective" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "adjective" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "adjective" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "adjective" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "describing word" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "adjective", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A word that modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes a noun’s referent.
"The words “big” and “heavy” are English adjectives."
- 2 the word class that qualifies nouns wordnet
- 3 A dependent; an accessory. obsolete
"it must be an adjective of dain"
- 4 a word that expresses an attribute of something wordnet
Verb
- 1 To make an adjective of; to form or convert into an adjective. transitive
"Language has as much occasion to adjective the distinct signification of the verb, and to adjective also the mood, as it has to adjective time. It has […] adjectived all three."
- 2 To characterize with an adjective; to describe by using an adjective. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Adjectival; pertaining to or functioning as an adjective. not-comparable
- 2 Applying to methods of enforcement and rules of procedure. not-comparable
"The whole English law, substantive and adjective."
- 3 Needing the use of a mordant to be made fast to that which is being dyed. not-comparable
- 4 Incapable of independent function. not-comparable, obsolete
"In fact, God is of not so much importance in Himself, but as the end towards which man tends. That irreverent person who said that Browning uses “God” as a pigment made an accurate criticism of his theology. In Browning, God is adjective to man."
Adjective
- 1 relating to court practice and procedure as opposed to the principles of law wordnet
- 2 of or relating to or functioning as an adjective wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"In English there are eight main parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction and finally interjection."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "adjective"?
Common synonyms include: describing word, adjectify, adjectival, adjectival, adjective noun, adjectivize.
How do you use "adjective" in a sentence?
In English there are eight main parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction and finally interjection.
How do you pronounce "adjective"?
Pronounced /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɪk.tɪv/.
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.