# comp

/ˈkɑmp/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/comp
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. competition

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a short way to say competition.

For teachers: a clipping of competition, frequently used in casual speech or casual journalism.

- I entered a radio comp to win tickets to the music festival.
- The local surfing comp attracted participants from across the coast, despite the relatively poor weather conditions forecast for the weekend.

### 2. free item or ticket

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a free ticket or item given to someone, usually for a show or a hotel stay.

For teachers: a clipping of complimentary ticket or item, typically provided by management in the hospitality or entertainment industries.

- The manager gave us a few comps for the show because our dinner was late.
- The casino host offered several room comps to the high rollers to ensure they remained at the resort for the duration of the tournament.

### 3. comprehensive school

noun · CEFR B2 · British English · Informal

a type of state school in the UK that takes children of all abilities.

For teachers: a clipping of comprehensive school; refers to a non-selective secondary school in the British state education system.

- He went to the local comp before heading to university in London.
- The debate regarding the efficacy of the local comp versus the nearby selective grammar school remains a contentious issue for the town council.

### 4. comprehensive exam

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · American English

a very important final exam for a university degree.

For teachers: a clipping of comprehensive examination, usually referring to the final qualifying exams for a doctoral or master's degree.

- She is staying in the library all weekend to study for her comps.
- After months of intensive preparation, the graduate student finally sat for her doctoral comps in the spring semester.

### 5. comparable property

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a similar house or property used to help decide the price of another one.

For teachers: a clipping of comparable; used in real estate to refer to recently sold properties with similar characteristics used for valuation.

- The agent looked at recent comps in the neighborhood to set the asking price.
- The appraiser struggled to find accurate comps because the property featured unique architectural elements not present in the surrounding suburban developments.

### 6. to provide for free

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to give someone something for free, like a meal or a ticket.

For teachers: to provide a complimentary item or service to a customer, often as a gesture of goodwill or a marketing tactic.

- The restaurant owner decided to comp our drinks after the long wait.
- The airline agreed to comp the passenger's hotel stay after the mechanical failure resulted in an unplanned overnight layover.

### 7. free of charge

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

given for free as a gift or favor.

For teachers: a clipping of complimentary; used to describe goods or services provided without charge.

- We were lucky enough to get comp tickets to the opening night.
- The promoter distributed a limited number of comp passes to local influencers to generate social media buzz before the official launch.

## Examples

- The manager gave us a comp for our next meal.
- Since the flight was overbooked, the airline offered me a hotel comp and a seat on the next plane.
- While the casino floor was crowded, high rollers were often granted a comp for luxury suites to encourage continued play.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.