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
- comparability noun
- comparableness noun
- comparably adverb
- intercomparable adjective
- uncomparable adjective
- uncomparableness noun
Etymology
Origin of comparable
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin comparābilis, equivalent to comparā(re) “to compare ” + -bilis -ble
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.
Of course, measles and a cold are not remotely comparable, which is precisely the issue with serious diseases that were once eradicated becoming endemic.
From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026
Her research shows RMTs have outperformed not just comparable mergers, but also spinoffs, which are equally tax-advantaged.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Few activists in the financial world have had comparable impact as the investor and activist David Webb—and fewer still have done so with such independence and analytical rigor.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
When the effort required for the high-reward option became comparable to the low-reward option, they eventually switched and stayed with the easier choice.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
Thereafter every scientist dreamed of making comparable discoveries.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions 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.
