What part of speech is used to describe a noun?

An adjective is the part of speech used to describe or define a noun. In “a bright star,” the adjective “bright” adds information about the noun “star,” while in “the star is bright,” it follows a linking verb and describes the subject.

Adjectives can express qualities, size, color, age, quantity, or many other properties: “ancient,” “blue,” “three,” and “wooden” are all examples. They may appear before a noun, after a linking verb, or sometimes independently, as in “the rich and the poor.”

The word adjective comes from the Latin phrase nomen adjectivum, meaning an added or joined name. A common mix-up is confusing adjectives with adverbs. Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns; adverbs usually modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Words such as “fast” can serve as either, depending on the sentence: “a fast train” uses an adjective, while “the train moved fast” uses an adverb.