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
Overall, sales of audio versions of books grew 1% in the year through October after rising more than 20% in 2024; by comparison, print book sales through the first 11 months of 2025 were down 1% compared to the same period the year before, according to The Wall Street Journal.
—
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Every head that pokes in ponders Frank’s previous existence in the room, his possible future existence in some other room, and his general existence in comparison to mine.
—Shane Kowalski, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
For comparison, a standard cup of coffee is 250 ml, so fill that cup a little less than half full, and imagine getting a single syringe of that injected into you.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
Analysts’ concerns over the Fed’s independence don’t descend as low as comparisons to President Nixon and Arthur Burns, however, when an alignment on monetary policy between the White House and the Fed plunged the economy into a crisis.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for comparison
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Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Every head that pokes in ponders Frank’s previous existence in the room, his possible future existence in some other room, and his general existence in comparison to mine.
—Shane Kowalski, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
For comparison, a standard cup of coffee is 250 ml, so fill that cup a little less than half full, and imagine getting a single syringe of that injected into you.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
Analysts’ concerns over the Fed’s independence don’t descend as low as comparisons to President Nixon and Arthur Burns, however, when an alignment on monetary policy between the White House and the Fed plunged the economy into a crisis.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 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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