Definition

Relating to a form of comparison that indicates equality or identity between two things.

Example

In the sentence 'The winner is Jill', the structure is equative because it identifies one term with another.

Conversation

I was reading about grammar rules, and I came across the term equative.

Oh really? What does it mean?

It refers to sentences where two things are compared equally, like 'Jill is as tall as Tom.'

Got it! That makes sense; I’ve seen those structures before.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Definition

A grammatical term that refers to a construction or form that expresses equality or similarity between two things, often using the word 'as'.

Example

In the sentence 'She is as tall as her brother', 'as tall as' is an example of the equative.

Conversation

Did you know that in grammar, there's something called the equative degree?

Really? I haven't heard about that before.

Yeah, it’s like when you say someone is as tall as someone else, showing equality.

Root Explanation

Equative → It is formed from "aequus" (meaning equal) and the suffix "-ative" (indicating a tendency or relating to). The word "equative" refers to something that relates to equality or equivalence.

Memory Tip

Think of 'equal' ('aequus') to remember that 'equative' means relating to equality.

Visually Confused Words