Meanings
nouncomparison (countable and uncountable, plural comparisons)
plural comparisons
- countableuncountableThe act of comparing or the state or process of being compared.
there is no comparison between them
2 more examples
to bring a thing into comparison with another
Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless.
2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845Synonyms: parallel
- countableuncountableAn evaluation of the similarities and differences of one or more things relative to some other or each other.
He made a careful comparison of the available products before buying anything.
3 more examples
As sharp legal practitioners, no class of human beings can bear a comparison with them.
1841, Thomas Macaulay, Warren HastingsThe miracles of our Lord and those of the Old Testament afford many interesting points of comparison.
1850, Richard Chenevix Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord"I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve.[…]"
1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter II, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC - countableuncountablegrammarA feature in the morphology or syntax of some languages whereby adjectives and adverbs are inflected to indicate the relative degree of the property they define exhibited by the word or phrase they modify or describe.
In English, adjectives and adverbs have three forms when making a comparison: the plain form "hot", the comparative form "hotter", and the superlative form "hottest".
- countableuncountableThat to which, or with which, a thing is compared, as being equal or like; illustration; similitude.
Whereto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it?
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 4:30 - countablerhetoricuncountableA simile.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe faculty of the reflective group which is supposed to perceive resemblances and contrasts.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act of comparing or the state or process of being compared.
Similar
Broader
More synonyms by meaning
nounqualities that are comparable
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Italic*kom
- Proto-Italic*kom-
- Latincon-
- Latinpār
- Latincompār
- Latincomparō
- Latincomparātiōnem
- Old Frenchcomparison
- Middle Englishcomparisoun
- Englishcomparison
Inherited from Middle English comparisoun, borrowed from Old French comparison, a learned borrowing from Latin comparātiōnem.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans vergelyking, vergelykbaarheid
- vergelykingevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- vergelykbaarheidstate of being similar or alike
- trappe van vergelykingability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- vergelykingact of comparing or the state of being compared
Ancient Greek σύγκρισις, σύγκρισις
- σύγκρισις (súnkrisis)evaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- σύγκρισις (súnkrisis)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Arabic مُقَارَنَة, مُقَابَلَة
- مُقَارَنَة (muqārana)act of comparing or the state of being compared
- مُقَابَلَة (muqābala)act of comparing or the state of being compared
- تَشْبِيه (tašbīh)act of comparing or the state of being compared
- مُقَايَسَة (muqāyasa)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Bengali তুলনা
- তুলনা (tulna)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Bulgarian сравне́ние, схо́дство
- сравне́ние (sravnénie)evaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- схо́дство (shódstvo)state of being similar or alike
- степенуване (stepenuvane)ability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- сравне́ние (sravnénie)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Catalan comparació, comparació
- comparacióevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- comparacióact of comparing or the state of being compared
Chinese Mandarin 比較 /比较
- 比較 /比较 (bǐjiào, bǐjiǎo)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Czech porovnání, stupňování
- porovnáníevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- stupňováníability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- porovnáníact of comparing or the state of being compared
Danish gradbøjning, sammenligning
- gradbøjningability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- sammenligningact of comparing or the state of being compared
Dutch vergelijking, gelijkenis
- vergelijkingevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- gelijkenisstate of being similar or alike
- trappen van vergelijkingability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- vergelijkingact of comparing or the state of being compared
Esperanto komparo
- komparoact of comparing or the state of being compared
Finnish vertailu, samanlaisuus
- vertailuevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- samanlaisuusstate of being similar or alike
- samankaltaisuusstate of being similar or alike
- komparaatioability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- vertailuact of comparing or the state of being compared
French comparaison, comparaison
- comparaisonevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- comparaisonstate of being similar or alike
- degrés de comparaisonability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- comparaisonact of comparing or the state of being compared
German Vergleich, Abgleich
- Vergleichevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- Abgleichevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- Gegenüberstellungevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- Abgleichstate of being similar or alike
- Vergleichbarkeitstate of being similar or alike
- Komparationability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- Steigerungability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- Vergleichact of comparing or the state of being compared
- Komparationact of comparing or the state of being compared
- Vergleichenact of comparing or the state of being compared
- Vergleichungact of comparing or the state of being compared
Greek σύγκριση, σύγκριση
- σύγκριση (sýgkrisi)evaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- σύγκριση (sýgkrisi)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Hebrew השוואה \ הַשְׁוָאָה, השוואה \ הַשְׁוָאָה
- השוואה \ הַשְׁוָאָה (hashva'á)evaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- השוואה \ הַשְׁוָאָה (hashva'á)state of being similar or alike
- השוואה \ הַשְׁוָאָה (hashva'á)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Hindi तुलना
- तुलना (tulnā)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Hungarian összehasonlítás, hasonlóság
- összehasonlításevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- hasonlóságstate of being similar or alike
- fokozásability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- összehasonlításact of comparing or the state of being compared
- összevetésact of comparing or the state of being compared
Icelandic stigbreyting
- stigbreytingability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
Indonesian komparasi, perbandingan
- komparasievaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- perbandinganevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
Irish comparáid, comparáid
- comparáidevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- comparáidability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
Italian comparazione, paragone
- comparazioneevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- paragoneact of comparing or the state of being compared
- confrontoact of comparing or the state of being compared
- comparazioneact of comparing or the state of being compared
Japanese 比較
- 比較 (hikaku)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Korean 비교
- 비교 (bigyo)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Latin comparātiō
- comparātiōact of comparing or the state of being compared
Latvian salīdzināšana, salīdzinājums
- salīdzināšanaact of comparing or the state of being compared
- salīdzinājumsact of comparing or the state of being compared
Lithuanian palyginimas, lyginimas
- palyginimasevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- lyginimasact of comparing or the state of being compared
Malay perbandingan
- perbandinganevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
Māori whakaritenga, whakatairitenga
- whakaritengaevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- whakatairitengaact of comparing or the state of being compared
Norwegian Bokmål sammenligning
- sammenligningact of comparing or the state of being compared
Persian مقایسه, تشبیه
- مقایسه (moqâyese)act of comparing or the state of being compared
- تشبیه (tašbih)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Polish porównanie, porównanie
- porównanieevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- porównaniestate of being similar or alike
- stopniowanieability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- gradacjaability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- klimaksability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- porównanieact of comparing or the state of being compared
Portuguese comparação, comparação
- comparaçãoevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- comparaçãostate of being similar or alike
- comparaçãoability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- comparaçãoact of comparing or the state of being compared
Romanian comparație
- comparațieact of comparing or the state of being compared
Russian сравне́ние, схо́дство
- сравне́ние (sravnénije)evaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- схо́дство (sxódstvo)state of being similar or alike
- сте́пени сравне́ния (stépeni sravnénija)ability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- сравне́ние (sravnénije)act of comparing or the state of being compared
- сра́внивание (srávnivanije)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Slovak porovnanie, stupňovanie
- porovnanieevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- stupňovanieability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- porovnanieact of comparing or the state of being compared
Spanish comparación, comparanza
- comparaciónevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- comparanzaevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- comparaciónstate of being similar or alike
- semejanzastate of being similar or alike
- parangónstate of being similar or alike
- paragónstate of being similar or alike
- comparaciónact of comparing or the state of being compared
- comparanzaact of comparing or the state of being compared
Swedish jämförelse, likhet
- jämförelseevaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- likhetstate of being similar or alike
- komparationability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- jämförelseact of comparing or the state of being compared
Tamil ஒப்பீடு, ஒப்பு
- ஒப்பீடு (oppīṭu)evaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- ஒப்பு (oppu)state of being similar or alike
- ஒப்பீடு (oppīṭu)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Thai การเปรียบเทียบ
- การเปรียบเทียบ (gaan-bprìiap-tîiap)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Turkish karşılaştırma, mukayese
- karşılaştırmaact of comparing or the state of being compared
- mukayeseact of comparing or the state of being compared
- salıştırmaact of comparing or the state of being compared
Ukrainian порі́вняння, ступе́ні порі́вняння
- порі́вняння (porívnjannja)evaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- ступе́ні порі́вняння (stupéni porívnjannja)ability of adjectives and adverbs to form three degrees
- порі́вняння (porívnjannja)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Urdu مُوَازَنَہ, اَنْدَازَہ
- مُوَازَنَہ (mūāzana)evaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- اَنْدَازَہ (andāza)evaluation of the similarities and differences of two (or more) things
- مُوَازَنَہ (mūāzana)act of comparing or the state of being compared
- اَنْدَازَہ (andāza)act of comparing or the state of being compared
Vietnamese sự so sánh
- sự so sánhact of comparing or the state of being compared
Cite this entry
APA
comparison. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comparison
MLA
“comparison.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comparison. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “comparison,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comparison.
Source: comparison on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.