comparator

American  

[kuhm-par-uh-ter, kom-puh-rey-] / kəmˈpær ə tər, ˈkɒm pəˌreɪ- /

noun

1. any of various instruments for making comparisons, as of lengths or distances, tints of colors, etc.

2. Electronics. a circuit for comparing two signals, as readings of duplicate information stored in a digital computer, and for giving an indication of agreement or disagreement between them.

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comparator British  

/ kəmˈpærətə /

noun

1. any instrument used to measure a property of a system by comparing it with a standard system

2. an electric circuit that compares two signals and gives an indication of the extent of their dissimilarity

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Etymology

Origin of comparator

First recorded in 1880–85; from Late Latin comparātor “a comparer”; compare, -tor

Example Sentences

Moderna said it used a standard-dose flu shot as the comparator in its trial because it included people under 65 and people from other countries where a high-dose vaccine isn’t recommended.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

A separate arm is exploring AF prevalence and susceptibility in 128 former elite competitive rowers between the ages of 45 and 80, along with a matched comparator group of people who are not competitive athletes.

From Science Magazine • May 14, 2024

Fifty years on from that policy decision, Sweden has clean, secure and affordable energy and is emitting less greenhouse gas than any comparator nation.

From Salon • Jul. 16, 2023

"With Wieze fully operational since end of October and against a strong comparator, we had, as expected, a slow start to the year," said Chief Executive Peter Boone in a statement.

From Reuters • Jan. 18, 2023

To make this measurement, two micrometer microscopes which project horizontally through the comparator are alternately focused on the knife edges and on the standard scale.

From Development of Gravity Pendulums in the 19th Century Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, Papers 34-44 On Science and Technology, Smithsonian Institution, 1966 by Lenzen, Victor Fritz