compare
compare Lexical Profile
compare Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To estimate, measure, or note the similarity or dissimilarity between two or more things.
"Researchers compared the test results of the two groups to evaluate the effectiveness of the new curriculum."
To point out or describe the resemblances of one thing to another; to liken.
"Poets have often compared the fleeting nature of youth to the blooming of spring flowers."
To have a specified relationship with another thing in terms of nature or quality; to be worthy of comparison.
"The instant coffee simply cannot compare with freshly ground beans."
• noun
Comparison or the quality of being comparable, used almost exclusively in the poetic or literary phrases 'beyond compare' and 'without compare'.
"The autumn foliage in the mountain valley was a sight of beauty beyond compare."
Word Nuance & Usage
In formal usage, 'compare to' is used to point out resemblances between things of a different order (e.g., comparing life to a journey), whereas 'compare with' is used to examine similarities and differences between things of the same kind.
• Rhymes for compare
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'comparer', from Latin 'comparare' meaning 'to pair or match together', formed from 'com-' (with, together) and 'par' (equal).