qualitative.

concerned with qualities, meanings, or characteristics, often examined without reducing them primarily to numbers

Use it for

Words that belong together

• qualitative research
• qualitative analysis
• qualitative difference

On the page

The qualitative interviews revealed concerns absent from the survey.

The two systems differ in a qualitative rather than merely numerical way.

Rigorous qualitative analysis requires transparent procedures.

Usage notes

Primary curation section: Academic. In research, commonly involves interpretive work with interviews, texts, or observations. Does not mean inherently unrigorous or merely anecdotal. Normally non-gradable in the methodological classification sense. Related adverb: qualitatively.