Meaning & use

qualitative

adjective·Academic

Relating to or based on the nature or quality of something rather than a numerical measurement.

See it in a sentence

The researchers conducted qualitative interviews to understand how patients felt about their treatment.

A qualitative review of the comments revealed common themes in customer complaints.

A note on using this word

Qualitative research explores meaning, experience, and description, while quantitative research measures and counts; the two are often contrasted directly in academic writing.

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