comparison

noun

com·​par·​i·​son kəm-ˈper-ə-sən How to pronounce comparison (audio)
-ˈpa-rə-
1
: the act or process of comparing: such as
a
: the representing of one thing or person as similar to or like another
His poetry invites comparison with the poems of Robert Frost.
b
: an examination of two or more items to establish similarities and dissimilarities
His faults seem minor by comparison.
a comparison of the sports cars
2
: identity of features : similarity
several points of comparison between the two
3
: the modification of an adjective or adverb to denote different levels of quality, quantity, or relation

Examples of comparison in a Sentence

a comparison of the data from the two studies the comparison of monkeys to humans I don't think comparisons of her situation and mine are appropriate.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That total would have been much higher had China chosen to slap an equal 10% tariff on all US goods exported there, which, by comparison, totaled over $130 billion last year. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025 By comparison last Monday about nine percent of our Hispanic students were absent, so certainly there is a significant difference in those two days. Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025 Listen to this article From the moment the Dallas Mavericks acquired Luka Doncic, the comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki were inevitable. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2025 At the time of Interstellar’s release, critics and fans were quick to draw comparisons between Nolan’s sci-fi epic and Kubrick’s magnum opus. Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for comparison 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French comparison, from Latin comparation-, comparatio, from comparare — see compare entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of comparison was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near comparison

Cite this Entry

“Comparison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comparison. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

comparison

noun
com·​par·​i·​son kəm-ˈpar-ə-sən How to pronounce comparison (audio)
1
: the act of comparing : the state of being compared
2
: change in the form of an adjective or an adverb (as by having -er or -est added or more or most prefixed) to show different levels of quality, quantity, or relation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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