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compare

/kəmˈpɛər/

/kəmˈpɛə/

Other forms: compared; comparing; compares

To compare is to look at two things and see how they are similar and different.

People compare all the time. If you look at two products and compare prices, you're looking for the better bargain. It is hard to compare who was the better athlete, Michael Jordan or Billie Jean King, because they played different sports. At a museum, you can compare different paintings. If you like your math teacher better than your history teacher, you're comparing the two. If a TV shows is bad, you could say "it doesn't compare" to your favorite show.

Definitions of compare
  1. verb
    examine and note the similarities or differences of
    “John compared his haircut to his friend's”
    “We compared notes after we had both seen the movie”
    see moresee less
    types:
    analogise, analogize
    make an analogy
    collate
    compare critically; of texts
    type of:
    analyse, analyze, canvas, canvass, delve, examine, parse, study
    consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
  2. verb
    consider or describe as similar, equal, or analogous
    “We can compare the Han dynasty to the Romans”
    synonyms: equate, liken
    see moresee less
    type of:
    consider, study
    give careful consideration to
  3. verb
    be comparable
    “This car does not compare with our line of Mercedes”
    see moresee less
    types:
    go
    be ranked or compare
    type of:
    be
    have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
  4. noun
    qualities that are comparable
    “beyond compare
    synonyms: comparability, comparison, equivalence
    see moresee less
    type of:
    alikeness, likeness, similitude
    similarity in appearance or character or nature between persons or things
  5. verb
    to form the comparative or superlative form on an adjective or adverb
    see moresee less
    type of:
    inflect
    change the form of a word in accordance as required by the grammatical rules of the language
Pronunciation
US

/kəmˈpɛər/

UK

/kəmˈpɛə/

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘compare'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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