quantitative

adjective

quan·​ti·​ta·​tive ˈkwän-tə-ˌtā-tiv How to pronounce quantitative (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or expressible in terms of quantity
2
: of, relating to, or involving the measurement of quantity or amount
3
: based on quantity
specifically, of classical verse : based on temporal quantity or duration of sounds
quantitatively adverb
quantitativeness noun

Examples of quantitative in a Sentence

Scientists are gathering quantitative information about human intelligence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite Israel’s qualitatively effective defenses, an underlying quantitative war attrition was at play that threatened to degrade Israel’s position over time: Iranian stocks of MRBM-class missiles likely exceeded the number of anti-MRBM interceptors possessed by Israel (ie. Arrow-2 and 3). Sebastien Roblin, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 Swainston specializes in earth observation technologies, geospatial visualization, and quantitative data analysis. Oliver Swainston, Space.com, 28 June 2025 Until now, one of the most financially rewarding paths was quantitative research at hedge funds: All-in compensation for PhDs fresh out of school can climb to $1 million–plus in these roles. Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 25 June 2025 Each city was ranked based on quantitative data in categories such as heat stress (the average number of days a year that residents are exposed to extreme heat, or more than 90 degrees) and museums (the number of museums in a city rated above four stars on TripAdvisor). Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for quantitative

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin quantitativus, from Latin quantitat-, quantitas quantity

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quantitative was in 1581

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quantitative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quantitative. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

quantitative

adjective
quan·​ti·​ta·​tive ˈkwän(t)-ə-ˌtāt-iv How to pronounce quantitative (audio)
: of, relating to, or involving the measurement of quantity
quantitatively adverb
quantitativeness noun

Medical Definition

quantitative

adjective
quan·​ti·​ta·​tive ˈkwän(t)-ə-ˌtāt-iv How to pronounce quantitative (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or expressible in terms of quantity
2
: of, relating to, or involving the measurement of quantity or amount
quantitatively adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on quantitative

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!