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Comparison is a feature in the morphology or syntax of some languages whereby adjectives and adverbs are inflected to indicate the relative degree of the property they define exhibited by the word or phrase they modify or describe. In languages that have it, the comparative construction expresses quality, quantity, or degree relative to some other comparator. The superlative construction expresses the greatest quality, quantity, or degree—i.e. relative to all other comparators.
The associated grammatical category is degree of comparison. The usual degrees of comparison are the positive, which simply denotes a property ; the comparative, which indicates greater degree ; and the superlative, which indicates greatest degree. Some languages have forms indicating a very large degree of a particular quality. Other languages can express lesser degree, e.g. beautiful, less beautiful, least beautiful.
The comparative degrees are frequently associated with adjectives and adverbs because these words take the -er suffix or modifying word more or less.. Comparison can also, however, appear when no adjective or adverb is present, for instance with nouns. However, the usage of the word than between nouns simply denotes a comparison made and not degree of comparison comparing the intensity or the extent of the subjects. One preposition, near, also has comparative and superlative forms, as in Find the restaurant nearest your house.