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
• comparableness noun
• comparably adverb
• 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

How are their comparable prices to be calculated, given the web of rebates and discounts that are common in the pharmaceutical universe?

From Los Angeles Times

Electric cars have become more affordable in the US in recent years - but they still cost more than comparable petrol-powered vehicles.

From BBC

Rachel Dodds, a professor of tourism at Canada's Toronto Metropolitan University, points out a few comparable cases.

From BBC

Among liberals, Martin Luther King Jr. experienced a comparable transformation, though it took a different form.

From Salon

The hoopla surrounding “Adolescence” was comparable to Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer,” which was a heavy award winner last year.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• commensurate 
• equal 
• proportionate 
• tantamount