adjective

An adjective is a word class that modifies a noun or pronoun, typically expressing qualities, quantities, or relations. In English, adjectives usually appear before the noun they modify (a red apple) or after linking verbs (the apple is red). They can also function as predicate adjectives following verbs such as seem or become (The apple is ripe). Adjectives can indicate properties (color, size), numbers (two, several), or demonstrative and possessive reference (this book, her idea). They may be attributive or predicative.

Adjectives form degrees of comparison to express relative magnitude: big, bigger, biggest; beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful. Some do this with -er/-est endings, others with more/most. In English, many adjectives do not inflect for gender or number, but in languages with grammatical agreement, adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Adjective classes include descriptive adjectives, numerals, demonstratives, possessives, and interrogatives. Adjectives can be stacked in a noun phrase in a preferred order (amount or number, then quality, size, age, color, origin, material). They participate in syntax to modify noun phrases and help convey precise meaning.

Etymology: from Latin adjective, from ad- “toward” plus jacere “to throw,” historically meaning “added to a noun.” See also determiners, degrees of comparison, and adjective agreement in other languages.