comparatively

com·par·a·tive·ly
C3O1M3P3A1R1A1T1I1V4E1L1Y4
UK/kəmˈpæɹ.ə.tɪvli/

adverb

In a comparative manner.

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Less commonScrabble 25

Meanings

adverbcomparatively (comparative more comparatively, superlative most comparatively)

comparative more comparatively · superlative most comparatively

  1. In a comparative manner.

    And yet I suppose that my life has been, comparatively speaking, a happy one.

    1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC
    1 more example

    Railway grouping had caused some peculiarly Scottish phraseology to disappear, though the note "Stops on timous notice to the guard" survived until comparatively recently.

    1956 April, K. H. Rudolph, “Fun with "'Bradshaw"”, in Railway Magazine, page 253
  2. When compared to other entities.

    Never did I see a more dreary and depressing scene. Miles on miles of quagmire, varied only by bright green strips of comparatively solid ground[.]

    1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC
    1 more example

    In freewayless areas like the Northwest, traffic jams are comparatively fewer – encouraged by the lack of a highway, more people have been riding buses.

    2019 February 7, Richard F. Weingroff, “The D.C. Freeway Revolt and the Coming of Metro: Part 5 - After the Court Revolt”, in Federal Highway Administration, archived from the original on 23 Oct 2025, page 61

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbin a relative manner; by comparison to something else

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Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latincomparātīvu
  2. Old Frenchcomparatif
  3. Middle Englishcomparatif
  4. Englishcomparative
  5. Englishcomparatively

From comparative + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic نِسْبِيّاً
  • نِسْبِيّاً (nisbiyyan)when compared to other entities
Catalan comparativament, comparativament
  • comparativamentin a comparative manner
  • comparativamentwhen compared to other entities
Dutch relatief, betrekkelijk
  • relatiefin a comparative manner
  • betrekkelijkin a comparative manner
Esperanto kompare, kompare
  • komparein a comparative manner
  • komparewhen compared to other entities
German vergleichsweise, verhältnismäßig
  • vergleichsweisein a comparative manner
  • verhältnismäßigin a comparative manner
  • vergleichsweisewhen compared to other entities
  • verhältnismäßigwhen compared to other entities
Greek συγκριτικά, συγκριτικά
  • συγκριτικά (sygkritiká)in a comparative manner
  • συγκριτικά (sygkritiká)when compared to other entities
Italian relativamente
  • relativamentein a comparative manner
Portuguese comparativamente, comparativamente
  • comparativamentein a comparative manner
  • comparativamentewhen compared to other entities
Russian сравни́тельно, сравни́тельно
  • сравни́тельно (sravnítelʹno)in a comparative manner
  • сравни́тельно (sravnítelʹno)when compared to other entities
Spanish comparativamente, comparativamente
  • comparativamentein a comparative manner
  • comparativamentewhen compared to other entities
Ukrainian порі́вняно
  • порі́вняно (porívnjano)when compared to other entities
Cite this entry
APA

comparatively. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comparatively

MLA

“comparatively.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comparatively. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “comparatively,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comparatively.

Source: comparatively on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.