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.
After the Federal Reserve rapidly raised interest rates in 2022, investors earned around 12% or more—comparable with what they could expect to earn by owning stocks—to own something with more downside protection.
Add in fact the U.S. is now a net exporter, as well as the global economy’s reduced reliance on oil, and the two situations are not that comparable.
From MarketWatch
While Dollar General’s forecast for comparable sales growth beat expectations, it marked a deceleration from 3% growth in fiscal 2025, putting the company on track to end three years of acceleration.
From Barron's
On an unadjusted basis, claims in the latest week were lower than in the comparable week last year.
From MarketWatch
“I know that suffering is not measurable or comparable,” Mr. Hale suggests, “but I believe this man has suffered more than he has sinned.”
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.
