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.
Scientists using satellite data estimated that since 2003 the amount of groundwater depleted in the Colorado River Basin is comparable to the total capacity of Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir.
From Los Angeles Times
In desperation, and perhaps losing his mind, the seemingly mild-mannered Man-soo becomes obsessed with nailing the application process for a comparable job.
In early hardware tests, the prototype outperformed comparable 2D chips by about four times.
From Science Daily
Finding comparable maps in the visual cortex is especially exciting.
From Science Daily
What makes this moment different from comparable stages in earlier cycles is that domestic competitors are no longer just cheaper.
From MarketWatch
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.
