comparison

American  

[kuhm-par-uh-suhn] / kəmˈpær ə sən /

noun

1. the act of comparing.

2. the state of being compared.

3. a likening; illustration by similitude; comparative estimate or statement.

4. Rhetoric. the considering of two things with regard to some characteristic that is common to both, as the likening of a hero to a lion in courage.

5. capability of being compared or likened.

   Synonyms:

   similarity, resemblance, likeness

6. Grammar.

   1. the function of an adverb or adjective that is used to indicate degrees of superiority or inferiority in quality, quantity, or intensity.

   2. the patterns of formation involved therein.

   3. the degrees of a particular word, displayed in a fixed order, as mild, milder, mildest, less mild, least mild.

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comparison British  

/ kəmˈpærɪsən /

noun

1. the act or process of comparing

2. the state of being compared

3. comparable quality or qualities; likeness

   there was no comparison between them

4. a rhetorical device involving comparison, such as a simile

5. Also called: degrees of comparison.  grammar the listing of the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of an adjective or adverb

6. to be sufficiently similar in class or range to be compared with (something else), esp favourably

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Other Word Forms

• intercomparison noun
• precomparison noun
• recomparison noun

Etymology

Origin of comparison

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English comparesoun, from Old French comparaison, from Latin comparātiōn-, stem of comparātiō, from comparāt(us) “placed together” (past participle of comparāre “to place together, match”; compare ) + -iō -ion

Explanation

When you make a comparison, you figure out how things are similar. Making comparisons is about taking a look at characteristics or qualities that show the similarities between living things, objects, or anything else. In the supermarket, people make comparisons based on price and ingredients. Lots of essays and articles make comparisons: between different politicians, bands, movies, athletes, and even whole era. Many teachers ask students to write comparisons in essays. If two things are totally different, you could say "There's no comparison!"

Example Sentences

The more refiners have to pay for crude deliveries, the more they have to charge for fuel, even if contracts for future oil shipments are cheap by comparison.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

In comparison, discussion about whether his game is there to secure a rare back-to-back Masters win felt somewhat neglected.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

By comparison, this group saw its total wealth grow by 20% in 2025 alone, a percentage that represents a $1.5 trillion increase.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

For comparison, OpenAI said last week that it’s generating $2 billion a month, which “likely implies” that it’s trailing Anthropic on a run-rate basis, according to Jefferies analyst Brent Thill.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

You guys are a breath of fresh air in comparison, believe me.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• analogy
• connection
• contrast
• correlation
• example
• identification
• juxtaposition
• observation
• ratio
• relation
• resemblance
• similarity
• testing