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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing comparable
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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.
The comparable proportion since then is just 30%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026
With a mass comparable to or greater than Jupiter's, it resembles a planet in size and composition, yet its orbital relationship with the brown dwarf makes it a candidate for an entirely different classification.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
The participants included 200 who eventually developed Crohn's disease, 200 who developed ulcerative colitis, and 100 healthy individuals of comparable age and sex.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
The British bank said Thursday that pretax profit for the quarter was 2.32 billion pounds, compared with 2.08 billion pounds for the comparable period a year earlier, and a company-compiled consensus of 2.42 billion pounds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
The severity of shock is reflected in 17-hydroxycortico- steroid levels comparable to those in schizophrenic patients in incipient psychosis, which exceed levels in other stressful situations.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
