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
And how the planned spectacle wound up paling in comparison to the reality of a large tank squeakily plodding past largely empty grandstands.
—
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
The old-money van Rhijn’s abode is downright homely by comparison.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 June 2025
The Mookie Betts trade has company, with the Red Sox’s stunner trade to deal Rafael Devers to the Giants on Sunday immediately drawing comparisons and flashbacks to Betts’ move to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 that has left an indelible mark on both franchises.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 16 June 2025
These metrics allowed consistent comparisons across global and state-level contexts to assess long-term societal conditions.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for comparison
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Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
The old-money van Rhijn’s abode is downright homely by comparison.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 June 2025
The Mookie Betts trade has company, with the Red Sox’s stunner trade to deal Rafael Devers to the Giants on Sunday immediately drawing comparisons and flashbacks to Betts’ move to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 that has left an indelible mark on both franchises.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 16 June 2025
These metrics allowed consistent comparisons across global and state-level contexts to assess long-term societal conditions.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for comparison
Cite this Entry
“Comparison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comparison. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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