gradability (n.)

A term used in GRAMMAR and SEMANTICS to refer to an analysis of the SENSE relationship between LEXICAL items in terms of the possibility of comparison. In semantics, gradable terms are best illustrated by such opposites as big/small, high/low. Ungradable terms can be illustrated by single/married, north/south, etc. In grammar, the term is used to refer to various types of grammatical MODIFICATION which can be used as criteria for comparative MEANINGS, e.g. a piece/bit/chunk of . . . , a very/slightly/extremely . .