# compare

/kəmˈpɛɹ/ (US) · /kəmpˈeə/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. to assess similarities and differences

verb · CEFR A1

to look at two or more things to find what is the same and what is different.

For teachers: to examine two or more objects, ideas, or people in order to note similarities and differences. Often used with the prepositions 'with' or 'to'.

- If you compare the two cars, you will see that one is much larger.
- The researchers compared the results of the first study with the second to identify any significant changes in participant behaviour.

Usage: Commonly takes the structure 'compare A with B' or 'compare A and B'.

### 2. to be similar to

verb · CEFR B1

to be as good as or similar to something else.

For teachers: to be worthy of comparison or to bear a resemblance. Frequently used in the negative to suggest one thing is inferior.

- The city's parks are nice, but they don't compare to the ones in London.
- The local theatre production was charming, but it simply cannot compare to the technical sophistication of a Broadway show.

Usage: Often used in the negative form 'cannot compare' or 'does not compare'.

### 3. grammar degrees

verb · CEFR B2 · Technical

to show the different forms of an adjective, like 'big', 'bigger', and 'biggest'.

For teachers: to inflect an adjective or adverb through its positive, comparative, and superlative degrees.

- In English class, we learned how to compare adjectives like 'happy' and 'fast'.
- The student struggled to compare irregular adjectives, often mistakenly adding 'more' to words that require a suffix change.

### 4. beyond comparison

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

the act of comparing, used in the phrase 'beyond compare'.

For teachers: the state of being compared; used almost exclusively in the fixed literary phrase 'beyond compare' to mean 'without equal'.

- The beauty of the mountains in winter is beyond compare.
- The poet described his subject's grace as being beyond compare, suggesting that no other person could possibly match her elegance.

Teaching tip: This noun form is rare in modern speech except for the idiom 'beyond compare'. In all other cases, students should use the noun 'comparison'.

### 5. computing instruction

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a computer instruction that checks if two values are the same.

For teachers: an operation or instruction that evaluates the relationship between two data values, such as equality or magnitude.

- The program performs a compare on the two numbers to see which is higher.
- The algorithm's efficiency was hindered by an excessive number of string compares within the primary sorting loop.

## Examples

- I want to compare the prices of these two phones.
- Before buying a new car, you should compare several different models to see which one has the best safety features.
- The study aims to compare the long-term economic outcomes of different educational systems across Europe, accounting for variations in local labor market demands and government subsidies.

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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.