as in relative
being such only when compared to something else
if you consider the multimillionaire's yearly income, we're living in comparative poverty
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Recent Examples of comparative
Any effort to create clusters would require federal policymakers, who have historically left such choices to state governments and market forces, to step outside their comfort zones and designate regions with comparative advantages where supply chains can mature and technologies can commercialize.
—
Damien Ma, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
Third-party validation, proof-of-concept, comparative testing and a diverse customer base are a few ways to assess an NGS supplier’s track record.
—Linda De Jesus, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Engage critically, demand improvement, but do not be so easily convinced to tear down a framework that, for all its flaws, still stands as a comparative bastion of progress in a nation facing profound challenges.
—Deandre Evans, Mercury News, 25 June 2025
Beijing is rapidly building up its conventional military capabilities and nuclear arsenal, which were once areas of comparative weakness.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for comparative
Damien Ma, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
Third-party validation, proof-of-concept, comparative testing and a diverse customer base are a few ways to assess an NGS supplier’s track record.
—Linda De Jesus, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Engage critically, demand improvement, but do not be so easily convinced to tear down a framework that, for all its flaws, still stands as a comparative bastion of progress in a nation facing profound challenges.
—Deandre Evans, Mercury News, 25 June 2025
Beijing is rapidly building up its conventional military capabilities and nuclear arsenal, which were once areas of comparative weakness.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for comparative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comparative
relative
Adjective
-
Wall Street’s fear gauge, the CBOE Volatility Index, has also dropped significantly since April as markets have embraced relative calm.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
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Both relative and absolute growth were considered in the evaluation.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Comparative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comparative. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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