comparison

[ kuhm-par-uh-suhn ]

noun

1. the act of comparing.
2. the state of being compared.
3. a likening; illustration by similitude; comparative estimate or statement.
4. Rhetoric. the considering of two things with regard to some characteristic that is common to both, as the likening of a hero to a lion in courage.
5. capability of being compared or likened.

   Synonyms: similarity, resemblance, likeness

6. Grammar.
   1. the function of an adverb or adjective that is used to indicate degrees of superiority or inferiority in quality, quantity, or intensity.
   2. the patterns of formation involved therein.
   3. the degrees of a particular word, displayed in a fixed order, as mild, milder, mildest, less mild, least mild.

comparison

/ kəmˈpærɪsən /

noun

1. the act or process of comparing
2. the state of being compared
3. comparable quality or qualities; likeness

   there was no comparison between them

4. a rhetorical device involving comparison, such as a simile
5. Also calleddegrees of comparison grammar the listing of the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of an adjective or adverb
6. bear comparison
   bear comparisonstand comparison to be sufficiently similar in class or range to be compared with (something else), esp favourably

Other Words From

• inter·com·pari·son noun
• precom·pari·son noun
• recom·pari·son noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of comparison¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English comparesoun, from Old French comparaison, from Latin comparātiōn-, stem of comparātiō, from comparāt(us) “placed together” (past participle of comparāre “to place together, match”; compare ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

By comparison, the Biden campaign is projected to spent about $28 million this week, up from $27 million last week.

From Washington Post

For comparison, the average American causes around 16 metric tons of emissions per year.

From Vox

At Scripps Ranch High School, by comparison, students passed 1,058 AP tests.

From Voice of San Diego

For comparison, Whitney examined four other tusks, from Africa’s Karoo Basin, which would not have lost sunlight during winter.

From Science News

Yet even that period paled in comparison against the 1950s and 1960s.

From Washington Post

The best comparison here for an American audience is, well, Internet stuff.

From The Daily Beast

I enjoyed it, but thought it paled in comparison to their debut.

From The Daily Beast

For comparison, inmates at high-security federal prisons cost about $34,000 per year on average, as of 2012.

From The Daily Beast

I was quite specifically talking about the comparison between playing Heimdall on one day, and playing Mandela on the next.

From The Daily Beast

But in recent days, I've found Sarah Palin an even more apt comparison.

From The Daily Beast

Can there be any comparison between the educational efficiency of the two methods?

From Project Gutenberg

For comparison, the gas may be passed through a test-tube containing an equal amount of distilled water.

From Project Gutenberg

In comparison with the engines now in use, these Americans were very small ones.

From Project Gutenberg

This pipe has been proved by comparison to be probably quite late in the reign of Elizabeth.

From Project Gutenberg

Let the student continue this comparison till he attains very nearly the brevity and discrimination displayed by Mr. Killick.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• analogy
• connection
• contrast
• correlation
• example
• identification
• juxtaposition
• observation
• ratio
• relation
• resemblance
• similarity
• testing