DictionaryRoot: -ivus
Latin

-ivus

having a quality or tendency

Forms

  • -ivus
  • -ive — The Latin ending was shortened through French and English.

Origin

A Latin descriptive ending built on an older -vo- ending.

Note

It often describes what something tends to do, rather than something it has already done.

95 / 112
adverb

relatively

In comparison with something else.

The apartment is relatively quiet compared with our old place.

Etymology

The adjective for dependence on comparison takes -ly. Relatively marks a judgment whose degree is assessed against some other standard or case.

More examples

  • Tickets are relatively cheap if you buy them early.
  • I find this recipe relatively easy compared with the others.
  • Relatively few people drive to work in this neighborhood.

Forms

relatively

relative adjective — Judged in comparison with something else.

Similar words

comparatively
Means much the same thing but often sounds more formal.