comparable
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle English comparable, from Middle French comparable, from Latin comparābilis.
PronunciationEdit
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɒmp(ə)ɹəbl̩/, /kəmˈpæɹəbl̩/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɑmp(ə)ɹəbl̩/, /kəmˈpæɹəbl̩/
- (US, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): /kəmˈpɛɹəbl̩/
AdjectiveEdit
comparable (comparative more comparable, superlative most comparable)
- (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.
- 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.
- (often with to) Similar (to); like.
- 2013 July-August, Philip J. Bushnell, “Solvents, Ethanol, Car Crashes & Tolerance”, in American Scientist:
- Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.
- (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.
- (grammar) Said of an adjective that has comparative and superlative forms.
- "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.
- Synonym: gradable
Usage notesEdit
The pronunciation /ˈkɒmp(ə)ɹəbl̩/ is almost never used for sense 4.
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
able to be compared
similar — see similar
gradable — see gradable
NounEdit
comparable (plural comparables)
- Something suitable for comparison.
- 2009, January 2, “Fred A. Bernstein”, in Catskill Home Prices: How Low Will They Go?[1]:
- And the appraiser said he couldn't come up with comparables, because there hadn't been any sales nearby in several months.
Further readingEdit
- comparable at OneLook Dictionary Search
- comparable in Britannica Dictionary
- comparable in Ozdic collocation dictionary
- comparable adjectives, gradable adjectives at Google Ngram Viewer
AsturianEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin comparābilis.
AdjectiveEdit
comparable (epicene, plural comparables)
Related termsEdit
CatalanEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin comparābilis.
PronunciationEdit
- (Balearic) IPA(key): /kom.pəˈɾa.blə/
- (Central) IPA(key): /kum.pəˈɾa.blə/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /kom.paˈɾa.ble/
AdjectiveEdit
comparable (masculine and feminine plural comparables)
- comparable
- Antonym: incomparable
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “comparable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin comparābilis.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
comparable (plural comparables)
- comparable (suitable to be compared)
Related termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “comparable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
GalicianEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin comparābilis.
AdjectiveEdit
comparable m or f (plural comparables)
Related termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “comparable” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.
Middle EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Middle French comparable, from Latin comparābilis; equivalent to comparen + -able.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
comparable (Late Middle English)
- Of identical or similar value; comparing favourably.
- Comparable, commensurable; suitable for comparison.
DescendantsEdit
- English: comparable
ReferencesEdit
- “comparāble, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
SpanishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin comparābilis.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
comparable (plural comparables)
- comparable
- Antonym: incomparable
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “comparable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014