as in relative
being such only when compared to something else
if you consider the multimillionaire's yearly income, we're living in comparative poverty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of comparative
Research from The Ohio State University surveying about 9,000 people found that divorce reduces a person's wealth by about three-quarters compared to that of a single person, while being married almost doubles comparative wealth.
—
Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2025
Cadence’s patented designs are also dishwasher-safe but can just as easily be washed by hand, versus comparative squeeze bottles which are harder to reach into.
—Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 8 Jan. 2025
That makes diversity in the ranks of the federal government a big comparative advantage.
—Farah Stockman, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
Juliane Kaminski, a comparative psychologist who led the Rico study, shared one of her more recent findings with me: Dogs have a muscle around their eyes for the sole purpose of making big, sad puppy-dog faces.
—Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for comparative 
Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2025
Cadence’s patented designs are also dishwasher-safe but can just as easily be washed by hand, versus comparative squeeze bottles which are harder to reach into.
—Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 8 Jan. 2025
That makes diversity in the ranks of the federal government a big comparative advantage.
—Farah Stockman, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
Juliane Kaminski, a comparative psychologist who led the Rico study, shared one of her more recent findings with me: Dogs have a muscle around their eyes for the sole purpose of making big, sad puppy-dog faces.
—Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for comparative
Articles Related to comparative
Thesaurus Entries Near comparative
Cite this Entry
“Comparative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comparative. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share