Nouns name; adjectives qualify. An adjective is a word that describes or limits a noun or pronoun, answering which one, what kind, or how many.

Adjectives may stand before the noun or after a linking verb. In many languages they agree with the noun in gender, number, or case. English largely dropped that agreement, so the same form works for singular and plural.

Comparative and superlative forms allow grading of qualities. Some adjectives resist comparison because they already express an absolute state. Learners need adjectives early if they want descriptions that go beyond bare naming.

• Modifier of nouns and pronouns
• Can be attributive or predicative
• May show agreement in some languages
• Often forms degrees of comparison