Comparable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒmp.(ə.)ɹə.bɫ̩/

Definitions

1. Having similar characteristics or qualities that allow for meaningful comparison or evaluation
2. Similar enough in nature or quality to be reasonably measured or judged against something else
3. Of equal value, quality, or significance to another item when examined side by side

Etymology: "Comparable" comes from Latin "comparābilis," formed from "comparāre," meaning "to match up" or "to couple," and the suffix "-bilis," meaning "able to be" or "capable of." The Latin verb itself grew from "com-" ("together") and "parāre" ("to prepare, arrange"), so at its root the idea is of arranging two things side by side so they can be set against each other. English borrowed the word through Middle French in the late Middle Ages, when it was used in the sense of something that could be legitimately set alongside something else. The adjective's central idea, that one thing can be measured against another, carries the logic of the Latin formation intact. The word is a straightforward combination of a verb stem and a suffix, so its meaning follows directly from the parts: whatever can be compared is comparable.

Synonyms: similar, analogous, equivalent, related, akin

Antonyms: incomparable, different, dissimilar, unrelated, divergent