comparison
Americannoun
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the act of comparing.
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the state of being compared.
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a likening; illustration by similitude; comparative estimate or statement.
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Rhetoric. the considering of two things with regard to some characteristic that is common to both, as the likening of a hero to a lion in courage.
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capability of being compared or likened.
- Synonyms:
- similarity, resemblance, likeness
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Grammar.
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the function of an adverb or adjective that is used to indicate degrees of superiority or inferiority in quality, quantity, or intensity.
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the patterns of formation involved therein.
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the degrees of a particular word, displayed in a fixed order, as mild, milder, mildest, less mild, least mild.
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noun
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the act or process of comparing
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the state of being compared
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comparable quality or qualities; likeness
there was no comparison between them
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a rhetorical device involving comparison, such as a simile
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Also called: degrees of comparison. grammar the listing of the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of an adjective or adverb
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to be sufficiently similar in class or range to be compared with (something else), esp favourably
Other Word Forms
- intercomparison noun
- precomparison noun
- recomparison noun
Etymology
Origin of comparison
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English comparesoun, from Old French comparaison, from Latin comparātiōn-, stem of comparātiō, from comparāt(us) “placed together” (past participle of comparāre “to place together, match”; compare ) + -iō -ion
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.
When it came to sitting at a different table and the giant red line she’d crossed earlier, there was no comparison.
From Literature
That comparison stopped short when I discovered a fireplace crackling merrily at the back of the room.
From Literature
There isn’t a recent comparison for Miami’s current situation.
“They are in a much sweeter spot for a big tax refund season and a middle income and up geared stimulus. And they’ve got easy comparisons,” he said.
From Barron's
So the best comparison is to the only truly national election in the U.S.
From Salon
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.
