comparison

noun

com·​par·​i·​son kəm-ˈper-ə-sən 

-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

Meryl Streep made the character an icon—and in the years since the film premiered in 2006, Wintour has more or less embraced the comparisons. —Sam Reed, Glamour, 16 Mar. 2026

Habermas and other opponents contended that the conservative historians were trying to lessen the magnitude of Nazi crimes through such comparisons. —Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026

These temperatures likely will seem tame in comparison to those in the 90s forecast for later this week. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026

In comparison, growing a single acre of alfalfa consumes as much as 6 acre-feet of water each year, according to University of Arizona's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. —Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026

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

Phrases Containing comparison

• by/in comparison
• comparison shop
• draw a comparison
• evokes/invites comparison with
• make a comparison
• no comparison
• pale by comparison
• pale in/by comparison to/with
• stands/bears comparison

Rhymes for comparison

• intercomparison
• parison

Kids Definition

comparison

noun

com·​par·​i·​son kəm-ˈpar-ə-sən 

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