Comparison
nounThe act of examining two or more things to note their similarities and differences.
How to spell comparison
10 letters · 4 syllables
How to pronounce comparison
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does comparison mean?
- nounThe act of examining two or more things to note their similarities and differences.
Comparison in a sentence
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A side-by-side comparison of the two laptops showed the cheaper one was faster.
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The report drew a careful comparison between this year's profits and last year's.
Where does comparison come from?
Language of origin: Latin
This word traces back to the Latin verb comparare, meaning 'to pair up' or 'to match', which was built from com- 'together' and par 'equal' (the same par that survives in 'parity' and in the golfing 'par'). Latin then formed the noun comparatio for the act of matching things side by side. English took the word in through Old French comparesoun in the 1300s, and the slightly worn-down French ending is the reason we spell it -ison rather than the tidier Latin -ation. The literal idea of placing two equals next to each other still lives inside every modern use, whether you are weighing prices or weighing arguments. The spelling trap sits in that unstressed final syllable, which sounds like a vague 'sun' and tempts writers toward -ason or a doubled r.
How the word is built
- com- (together)
- par (from Latin par: equal)
- -ison (noun-forming suffix)
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