comparable
Americanadjective
-
capable of being compared; having features in common with something else to permit or suggest comparison.
He considered the Roman and British empires to be comparable.
- Synonyms:
- similar, equivalent, equal, like
-
worthy of comparison.
shops comparable to those on Fifth Avenue.
-
usable for comparison; similar.
We have no comparable data on Russian farming.
adjective
-
worthy of comparison
-
able to be compared (with)
Other Word Forms
- comparability noun
- comparableness noun
- comparably adverb
- intercomparable adjective
- uncomparable adjective
- uncomparableness noun
Etymology
Origin of comparable
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin comparābilis, equivalent to comparā(re) “to compare ” + -bilis -ble
Explanation
Use comparable to describe two things that are alike. If you are offered two jobs with comparable salaries, you might take the one where the weather is nicer. Comparable can also mean exactly what it looks like: things you are “able” to “compare” are comparable. When you say that comparing two things is “like comparing apples and oranges,” you're saying the two things in question are not comparable. When you pronounce this word, remember that, unlike with “compare,” you emphasize the first syllable and swallow the first “a”: COM-pra-ble. The sounds of the two words aren't really comparable.
Vocabulary lists containing comparable
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shaykevich describes the local-currency debt as unusually attractive right now, with roughly double the returns of a comparable U.S. bond index for about 25% more volatility, based on Vanguard analysis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
The average refund was $3,521 as of late last month, which is $351 larger than refunds at a comparable time a year ago.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Multi-target missions were completed in just 12 to 23 minutes, while a comparable human-guided mission took 41 minutes.
From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026
Of course, measles and a cold are not remotely comparable, which is precisely the issue with serious diseases that were once eradicated becoming endemic.
From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026
A long, plaintive moan, comparable to a blast from a foghorn.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
