ENGLISH
REFERENCE

apples and oranges

idiom
Meaning

A comparison of items that, however categorically similar, is inapt; an incompatible analogy, or the items so compared; a disanalogy.


Examples
SIMPLE

Comparing those two jobs is like comparing apples and oranges.

CONTEXTUAL

You cannot compare a professional athlete to a hobbyist, as they are apples and oranges.

COMPLEX

To weigh the merits of classical poetry against modern software development is to compare apples and oranges, given their entirely disparate objectives.

Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    apples to apples

    A comparison of items that are similar.

  2. 02

    apples to apples, oranges to oranges

    A comparison of items that are similar, while also acknowledging or distinguishing a separation of their sets or categories.

  3. 03

    mix apples and oranges

    To mix or confuse two completely different objects or ideas.

  4. 04

    oranges with oranges

    Synonym of apples to apples.

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