adjective

1. The part of speech that modifies a noun or other substantive by limiting, qualifying, or specifying and distinguished in English morphologically by one of several suffixes, such as -able, -ous, -er, and -est, or syntactically by position directly preceding a noun or nominal phrase.
2. Any of the words belonging to this part of speech, such as white in the phrase a white house.

1. Adjectival: an adjective clause.
2. Law Prescriptive; remedial: adjective law.
3. Not standing alone; derivative or dependent.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French adjectif

Origin: , from Late Latin adiectīvus

Origin: , from adiectus

Origin: , past participle of adicere, to add to

Origin: : ad-, ad-

Origin: + iacere, to throw; see yē- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

• adˈjec·tive·ly adverb