comparison

American  

[kuhm-par-uh-suhn] / kəmˈpær ə sən /

noun

• comparisons
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• intercomparison
  noun
• precomparison
  noun
• recomparison
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• comparisons
  plural

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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”; see compare) + -iō -ion

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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

See Examples For:

comparison comparisons

Olivia was so surprised she took her own pictures of the property for comparison.

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026

"Such an increase would further drive up labour costs, already high in Germany, when they are already far too high in international comparison," she argued.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

“I’m not criticizing American schools, but I think for kids at 7 and 5 to be able to have that comparison and to have two completely different cultural experiences is so important today,” he explained.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026

Early adopters of the technology often use it to comparison shop and search for the lowest prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

For the first time, Markie looked good by comparison.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen

But this unusually early disruption of the polar vortex and SSW presents meteorologists with a situation for which there are few modern comparisons.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Iran has seized on the Suez crisis in recent days to draw comparisons with the current situation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

The current archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Garcia Cuerva, has downplayed comparisons between the current and former Vatican leaders.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Across the placebo comparisons, medical cannabis produced little or no clinically meaningful improvement in sleep quality, satisfaction with sleep, total hours slept, or daytime functioning.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

“Here is a marvel indeed,” they would say, and make comparisons with ordinary parents who sometimes bore a child of matchless brilliance; or with a devout couple who had brought forth a wretch.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

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Related Words

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

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