comparable

[kom-per-uh-buhl, kuhm-pair-]

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.

comparable

/ ˈkɒmpərəbəl /

adjective

1. worthy of comparison

2. able to be compared (with)

Other Word Forms

• comparability noun
• comparably adverb
• comparableness noun
• intercomparable adjective
• uncomparable adjective
• uncomparableness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of comparable¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin comparābilis, equivalent to comparā(re) “to compare ” + -bilis -ble

Example Sentences

But their emphasis on reporting frequency obscures a more fundamental concern: whether existing regulatory arrangements can actually produce financial statements that are consistent, comparable, and genuinely informative to the public.

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Though arguably comparable in size to the D.C.

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“We are in the beginning of one of the hardest challenges ever,” comparable only to exploring space, he said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“This expansion is not comparable to the magnitude of the demand uptick that happened in the last two years,” he said.

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That’s comparable to the most desirable properties in New York’s priciest neighborhood, the West Village.

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Related Words

• commensurate 
• equal 
• proportionate 
• tantamount