denoting or relating to a word in whose meaning there is some implicit relationship to a standard
'big' and 'small' are gradable adjectives
noun
3. linguistics
a word of this kind
Derived forms
gradability (ˌgradaˈbility) or gradableness (ˈgradableness)
noun
gradable in American English
(ˈɡreidəbəl)
adjective
1.
capable of being graded
2. Grammar(esp of adjectives and adverbs)
denoting a quality or state that can be present in varying degree or extent; capable of undergoing comparison or intensification, as heavy—heavier, cheerful—more cheerful, or tall—very tall, but not atomic or dental
Word origin
[grade + -able]-able is a suffix meaning “capable of, susceptible of, fit for, tending to, given to,”associated in meaning with the word able, occurring in loanwords from Latin (laudable); used in English as a highly productive suffix to form adjectives by addition tostems of any origin (teachable; photographable)
Examples of 'gradable' in a sentence
gradable
No doubt some harrumphing of that sort will greet the apparent decline of the gradable adverb.