comparable

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Pronunciation[edit]

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

Adjective[edit]

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[edit]

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

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

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[1]:
      And the appraiser said he couldn't come up with comparables, because there hadn't been any sales nearby in several months.

Further reading[edit]

Asturian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin comparābilis.

Adjective[edit]

comparable (epicene, plural comparables)

  1. comparable

Related terms[edit]

Catalan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin comparābilis.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

comparable m or f (masculine and feminine plural comparables)

  1. comparable
    Antonym: incomparable

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin comparābilis.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

comparable (plural comparables)

  1. comparable (suitable to be compared)

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Galician[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin comparābilis.

Adjective[edit]

comparable m or f (plural comparables)

  1. comparable

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Pronunciation[edit]

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

Adjective[edit]

comparable (Late Middle English)

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

Descendants[edit]

  • English: comparable

References[edit]

Spanish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin comparābilis.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /kompaˈɾable/ [kõm.paˈɾa.β̞le]
  • Rhymes: -able
  • Syllabification: com‧pa‧ra‧ble

Adjective[edit]

comparable m or f (masculine and feminine plural comparables)

  1. comparable
    Synonym: equiparable
    Antonym: incomparable

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]