comparable

American  

[kom-per-uh-buhl, kuhm-pair-] / ˈkɒm pər ə bəl, kəmˈpɛər- /

adjective

1. 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

2. worthy of comparison.

   shops comparable to those on Fifth Avenue.

3. usable for comparison; similar.

   We have no comparable data on Russian farming.

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comparable British  

/ ˈkɒmpərəbəl /

adjective

1. worthy of comparison

2. able to be compared (with)

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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

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.

Example Sentences

For the first three months of the year, ABB achieved $1.32 billion in net profit, compared with $1.10 billion a year prior, on revenue that grew 11% on a comparable basis to $8.73 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Based on prior data and a similar study with a comparable patient population, “we expect positive results,” the analyst added.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Chinese AI models now cost roughly one-sixth to one-fourth of comparable U.S. systems, according to Rand, and China’s competitive advantage is widening.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

The officer subsequently requested the case files for similar offences in the surrounding area with a comparable modus operandi.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

The VLA is able to resolve or discriminate fine detail in the radio regions of the spectrum comparable to what the largest ground-based telescopes can do in the optical region of the spectrum.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• commensurate
• equal
• proportionate
• tantamount