comparable

adjective

com·​pa·​ra·​ble ˈkäm-p(ə-)rə-bəl 

also

kəm-ˈpa-rə-bəl 

-ˈper-ə-

1

: capable of or suitable for comparison

The situations are not at all comparable.

2

: similar, like

fabrics of comparable quality

The two houses are comparable in size.

comparableness noun

Synonyms of comparable

• similar
• analogous
• like
• alike
• such

Examples of comparable in a Sentence

two comparable selections that are hard to choose between

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite this, as Victoria Fuller, head of Cleveland Police, pointed out, the local force receives £139million ($187m) less funding than, for example, its counterpart in Surrey, south of London, despite a comparable population. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

California pump prices are now comparable to levels last seen in early June, according to AAA. — Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026

The big question is about this coming Wednesday, when the Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates for the first time since July 2023—a move that effectively ended the last comparable tech boom, 26 years ago. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

The last time France tried to convene the world’s film industry with comparable ambition was almost exactly a century earlier, in the autumn of 1926, when the Congrès international du cinématographe met in Paris. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see compare entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing comparable

• comparable worth

Rhymes for comparable

• incomparable

Kids Definition

comparable

adjective

com·​pa·​ra·​ble ˈkäm-p(ə-)rə-bəl 

1

: capable of being compared

2

: similar, like

cloth comparable to the best

comparably

-blē 

adverb