comparable

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English

Etymology

From Middle English comparable, from Middle French comparable, from Latin comparābilis.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɒmp(ə)ɹəbl̩/, /kəmˈpæɹəbl̩/
    • (file)
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  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɑmp(ə)ɹəbl̩/, /kəmˈpæɹəbl̩/
  • (US, Marymarrymerry merger) IPA(key): /kəmˈpɛɹəbl̩/

Adjective

comparable (comparative more comparable, superlative most comparable)

  1. (often with to) Able to be compared (to).
    An elephant is comparable in size to a double-decker bus.
    You can't say that robbing a bank is like pickpocketing. The two are just not comparable.
    • 1951 April, Stirling Everard, “A Matter of Pedigree”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 273:
      The firebox married to Britannia's boiler is not, however, in the Doncaster tradition, notwithstanding that it is comparable in dimensions to that of the "V2."
    • 2022 January 12, Sir Michael Holden, “Reform of the workforce or death by a thousand cuts?”, in RAIL, number 948, page 22:
      As yet, we don't know what the comparable figures will be like for the current financial year which ends in March 2022, but we can have a good stab at approximating them.
  2. (often with to) Similar (to); like.
  3. (mathematics) Constituting a pair in a particular partial order.
    Six and forty-two are comparable in the divides order, but six and nine are not.
  4. (grammar) Said of an adjective that has comparative and superlative forms.
    Synonym: gradable
    "Big" is a comparable adjective, since it can take the forms "bigger" and "biggest"; but "unique" is not comparable, except in disputed, but common, usage.

Usage notes

The pronunciation /ˈkɒmp(ə)ɹəbl̩/ is almost never used for sense 4.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

comparable (plural comparables)

  1. Something suitable for comparison.
    • 2009 January 2, Fred A. Bernstein, “Catskill Home Prices: How Low Will They Go?”, in New York Times:
      And the appraiser said he couldn't come up with comparables, because there hadn't been any sales nearby in several months.

Further reading

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin comparābilis.

Adjective

comparable (epicene, plural comparables)

  1. comparable

Related terms

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin comparābilis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

comparable m or f (masculine and feminine plural comparables)

  1. comparable
    Antonym: incomparable

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

French

Etymology

From Latin comparābilis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

comparable (plural comparables)

  1. comparable (suitable to be compared)

Related terms

Further reading

Galician

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin comparābilis.

Adjective

comparable m or f (plural comparables)

  1. comparable

Related terms

Further reading

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French comparable, from Latin comparābilis; equivalent to comparen +‎ -able.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌkɔmpaˈraːbəl/, /ˌkɔmpaˈraːblə/, /ˈkɔmpərabəl/

Adjective

comparable (Late Middle English)

  1. Of identical or similar value; comparing favourably.
  2. Comparable, commensurable; suitable for comparison.

Descendants

  • English: comparable

References

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin comparābilis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kompaˈɾable/
  • Rhymes: -able
  • Syllabification: com‧pa‧ra‧ble

Adjective

comparable m or f (masculine and feminine plural comparables)

  1. comparable
    Synonym: equiparable
    Antonym: incomparable

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading