comparable
Americanadjective
-
capable of being compared; having features in common with something else to permit or suggest comparison.
He considered the Roman and British empires to be comparable.
- Synonyms:
- similar, equivalent, equal, like
-
worthy of comparison.
shops comparable to those on Fifth Avenue.
-
usable for comparison; similar.
We have no comparable data on Russian farming.
adjective
-
worthy of comparison
-
able to be compared (with)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of comparable
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin comparābilis, equivalent to comparā(re) “to compare ” + -bilis -ble
Explanation
Use comparable to describe two things that are alike. If you are offered two jobs with comparable salaries, you might take the one where the weather is nicer. Comparable can also mean exactly what it looks like: things you are “able” to “compare” are comparable. When you say that comparing two things is “like comparing apples and oranges,” you're saying the two things in question are not comparable. When you pronounce this word, remember that, unlike with “compare,” you emphasize the first syllable and swallow the first “a”: COM-pra-ble. The sounds of the two words aren't really comparable.
Vocabulary lists containing comparable
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Producing 40% more output with the same power would imply roughly 29% less energy per token under comparable operating conditions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The researchers lacked comparable health information from people who had not experienced strokes, making it impossible to determine how much the observed risk factor trends contributed to the increase.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
In a follow-up post on social media, Clarkson said the store had told her the bird cost $15,000 and that they could find her something else "comparable".
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
That is the highest level since mid-July and comparable to levels seen in 2021.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
It is a reaction comparable to the way Americans might respond to someone who told them that World War II started in the Pacific after an American sneak attack on Tokyo harbor.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
