# comparable

/ˈkɑmpɝəbəɫ/ (US) · /kˈɒmpəɹəbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/comparable
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. similar in quality or size

adjective · CEFR B2

similar to something else in size, amount, or quality so that you can compare them fairly.

For teachers: similar in nature, quality, or amount; having enough shared characteristics to allow for a valid comparison.

- The quality of this cheaper phone is comparable to the expensive models.
- The economic growth seen in the last quarter is comparable to the boom years of the late nineties, suggesting a full recovery is underway.

Usage: often followed by the preposition 'to'

### 2. able to be compared

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

possible to compare because the things are in the same category.

For teachers: capable of being compared; possessing a common basis for evaluation.

- We need to make sure the data sets are comparable before we start the analysis.
- The researchers struggled to find comparable groups for the study because the regional demographics varied so significantly.

### 3. mathematical ordering

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

in math, two things that can be put in a specific order.

For teachers: describing two elements in a partially ordered set such that one is either greater than or equal to the other.

- In this specific set, not every pair of numbers is comparable.
- The theorem only applies if the elements are comparable within the defined partial order of the system.

### 4. grammatical forms

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

an adjective that can have 'more' or 'most' forms.

For teachers: describing an adjective or adverb that can take comparative and superlative inflections.

- Words like 'big' are comparable, but words like 'dead' usually are not.
- The student asked whether absolute adjectives like 'unique' should be treated as comparable in formal writing.

Usage: used specifically in linguistics and grammar

### 5. a similar item

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

a thing that is similar to another and used for comparison, especially in business.

For teachers: an item, such as a property or a company, that is used as a benchmark to determine the value of another similar item.

- The real estate agent looked at recent comparables in the neighborhood to set the price.
- Without recent sales comparables, the appraisers found it difficult to justify the high valuation of the historic estate.

## Examples

- The two cars are comparable in price and speed.
- The quality of the local school is comparable to the best private institutions in the city.
- Economists noted that while the two nations have different political systems, their industrial outputs remain comparable when adjusted for population size and resource availability.

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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.