What does "correlative" mean?
Either of two correlative things.
Correlative
adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Either of two correlative things.
- Grammar: correlative is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accessory, accompanying, affinitive, afisr.
- Useful contrasts: independent, independent variable, noncorrelative element.
- Usage evidence: How are rights and duties correlative?
How to use "correlative"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "correlative" 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 "correlative" 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 "correlative" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "correlative" 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 "correlative" is acting as adj, noun 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 "accessory" 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.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "correlative", 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 Either of two correlative things. formal
"The actual motivation for this separation was a curious mixture of arrogance and respect: the new arrogance of the administrators abroad who faced 'backward populations' or 'lower breeds' found its correlative in the respect of old-fashioned statesmen at home who felt that no nation had the right to impose its law upon a foreign people."
- 2 either of two or more related or complementary variables wordnet
- 3 A pro-form; a non-personal pronominal, proadjectival, or proadverbial form
Adjective
- 1 Mutually related; corresponding.
"If we reinterpret these phenomena in terms of a consistently game-playing model of behavior, the need to distinguish between primary and secondary gains disappears. The correlative necessity to estimate the relative significance of physiological needs and dammed-up impulses on the one hand, and of social and interpersonal factors on the other, also vanishes. Since needs and impulses cannot be said to exist in human social life without specified rules for dealing with them, instinctual needs cannot be considered solely in terms of biological rules, but must also be viewed in terms of their psychosocial significance—that is, as parts of the game."
Adjective
- 1 expressing a reciprocal or complementary relation wordnet
- 2 mutually related wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"How are rights and duties correlative?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "correlative"?
Common synonyms include: accessory, accompanying, affinitive, afisr, agnate, akin.
How do you use "correlative" in a sentence?
How are rights and duties correlative?
Etymology
From correlate + -ive or cor- + relative.