compare

verb com·pare \ kəm-ˈper \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: compare in a Sentence

Definition of compare

compared; comparing

transitive verb

1 : to represent as similar : liken

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
—William Shakespeare

2 a : to examine the character or qualities of especially in order to discover resemblances or differences

compare your responses with the answers

b : to view in relation to

He is tall compared to me.

The test was easy compared with the last one.

3 : to inflect or modify (an adjective or adverb) according to the degrees of comparison : state the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of

intransitive verb

1 : to bear being compared

The two don't even begin to compare.

We bought two different brands of peanut butter to see how they compare.

2 : to make comparisons

If we now go to Italy at all, we go not to learn, but to compare.
—Norman Douglas

3 : to be equal or alike

Nothing compares to you.

See compare defined for English-language learners

See compare defined for kids

Examples of compare in a Sentence

The singer's voice has been compared to that of Elvis.
We each did the homework assignment, then compared answers.
I compared several bicycles before buying one.

Recent Examples of compare from the Web

Central Moscow ground to a halt, an impromptu street party that some compared to the celebrations at the end of World War II.

— rory smith, New York Times, "Russia Finally Falls, Leaving a Trail of Admirers and Doubters," 8 July 2018
Three years after enrolling, one-third had quit, compared to about a quarter of students whose parents have a university degree, the Education Department reports.

— jon marcus, star-telegram, "More high school grads than ever are going to college, but 1 in 5 will quit," 7 July 2018
Lotto was christened the first modern portraitist in the 1890s by the American art historian Bernard Berenson, who compared Lotto’s expressive merchants and artisans with Titian’s more heroic emperors and popes.

— j.s. marcus, WSJ, "A Modern Portraitist, Ahead of His Time," 6 July 2018
That’s the conclusion of a study published this week in the Journal of The Royal Society Interface, in which researchers compared the landscape on either side of a 5000-kilometer-long wire mesh dingo fence.

— lakshmi supriya, Science | AAAS, "A fence built to keep out wild dogs out has dramatically altered the Australian landscape," 6 July 2018
The roofline is a couple of tenths taller but its overall aerodynamics are slipperier with a coefficient of drag now at 0.27, which compares to 0.25 for a Prius Prime.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2019 Volkswagen Jetta: 7th generation wide-body reboot," 6 July 2018
There’s a reason why Sharp Objects, HBO’s dark new drama premiering on Sunday, July 8, will be constantly compared to Big Little Lies.

— refinery29.com, "Meet The Cast & Characters Of Sharp Objects, HBO’s Darkest Show Yet," 5 July 2018
League insiders, and local business leaders, believe that new Panthers owner David Tepper will compare Bank of America Stadium with the NFL's newest stadiums, and decide whether more renovations — or a new stadium — are needed.

— steve harrison, charlotteobserver, "NFL stadiums are more luxurious than ever. Here's how the Panthers could keep up.," 5 July 2018
How did that change the process compared to the first one?

— todd vanderwerff, Vox, "The folks behind Ant-Man and the Wasp on why Marvel doesn’t always have to save the world," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compare.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of compare

Middle English, from Anglo-French comparer, from Latin comparare to couple, compare, from compar like, from com- + par equal

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

compare Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of compare

compare, contrast, collate mean to set side by side in order to show differences and likenesses. compare implies an aim of showing relative values or excellences by bringing out characteristic qualities whether similar or divergent.

- compared the convention facilities of the two cities

contrast implies an emphasis on differences.

- contrasted the computerized system with the old filing cards

collate implies minute and critical inspection in order to note points of agreement or divergence.

- data from districts around the country will be collated

compare

noun

Definition of compare

: the possibility of comparing

beauty beyond compare

; also : something with which to be compared

a city without compare

See compare defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of compare from the Web

How does that compare to homicide arrests among nonimmigrants during the same time period?

— meg kelly, Washington Post, "Fact-checking President Trump’s numbers on the ‘human toll of illegal immigration’," 6 July 2018
How does working in television compare to working in movies?

— ben sachs, Chicago Reader, "Film / Television An interview with cinematographer turned director Ernest Dickerson," 22 June 2018
Anyway, how did the pleasure of playing a mellow Steinway grand in a hospital lobby once a week compare with what this couple must be doing for each other daily?

— len lyons, BostonGlobe.com, "Playing piano at Dana-Farber, he sees improvisation is not just for jazz," 12 June 2018
So how does her glittering headpiece compare to the pantheon of royal bridal tiaras?

— brittany talarico, PEOPLE.com, "The Meaning Behind Meghan Markle's Wedding Tiara: How It Pays Tribute to Her New Royal Family," 19 May 2018
How does this compare to some of our other favorites e-sources?

— mimi faucett, ELLE Decor, "How To Buy A Sofa Online," 18 Mar. 2016
So, how did the grumpy kids at Harry and Meghan's wedding compare to those attending Kate Middleton and Prince William's special day back in 2011?

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "All the Grumpy Kids at Harry and Meghan's Royal Wedding Compared to William and Kate's," 20 May 2018
Amenities at the complex compare to many of the new luxury buildings in East Village and Little Italy.

— phillip molnar, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Downtown San Diego's biggest-ever apartment complex set to open," 17 May 2018
Although, be warned, the grassy green certainly isn’t for everyone, with a strong earthiness that some compare to lawn clippings.

— grace dickinson, Philly.com, "Beyond bugs: 12 unique (and strange) ingredients at Mom's Organic Market and what to do with them," 16 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of compare

see ¹compare

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1589

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

COMPARE Defined for English Language Learners

compare

verb

Definition of compare for English Language Learners

: to say that (something) is similar to something else
: to look at (two or more things) closely in order to see what is similar or different about them or in order to decide which one is better
: to be as good or as bad as something else : to be on the same level or in the same category as something else

COMPARE Defined for Kids

compare

verb com·pare \ kəm-ˈper \

Definition of compare for Students

compared; comparing

1 : to point out as similar : liken

She compared the activity of ants to the behavior of humans.

2 : to examine for similarity or differences

Before buying compare the two bicycles.

3 : to appear in relation to others

She compares well with the rest of the class.

4 : to state the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of an adjective or adverb

Synonym Discussion of compare

compare and contrast mean to look closely at something in order to show likenesses and differences. compare is used for showing the likenesses between two or more things.