COMPARE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does compare mean? 

• COMPARE (noun)
  The noun COMPARE has 1 sense:

1. qualities that are comparable

  Familiarity information: COMPARE used as a noun is very rare.

• COMPARE (verb)
  The verb COMPARE has 4 senses:

1. examine and note the similarities or differences of

2. be comparable

3. consider or describe as similar, equal, or analogous

4. to form the comparative or superlative form on an adjective or adverb

  Familiarity information: COMPARE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMPARE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Qualities that are comparable

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

comparability; compare; comparison; equivalence

Context example:

beyond compare

Hypernyms ("compare" is a kind of...):

alikeness; likeness; similitude (similarity in appearance or character or nature between persons or things)

Derivation:

compare (examine and note the similarities or differences of)

compare (consider or describe as similar, equal, or analogous)

compare (be comparable)

• COMPARE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they compare    ... he / she / it compares   
Past simple: compared   
Past participle: compared   
-ing form: comparing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Examine and note the similarities or differences of

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

We compared notes after we had both seen the movie

Hypernyms (to "compare" is one way to...):

analyse; analyze; canvass; examine; study (consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning)

Verb group:

compare (be comparable)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "compare"):

analogise; analogize (make an analogy)

collate (compare critically; of texts)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

comparative (estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete)

compare (qualities that are comparable)

comparing; comparison (the act of examining resemblances)

comparison (relation based on similarities and differences)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be comparable

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

This car does not compare with our line of Mercedes

Hypernyms (to "compare" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Verb group:

compare (examine and note the similarities or differences of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "compare"):

go (be ranked or compare)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

compare (qualities that are comparable)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Consider or describe as similar, equal, or analogous

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

compare; equate; liken

Context example:

You cannot equate success in financial matters with greed

Hypernyms (to "compare" is one way to...):

consider; study (give careful consideration to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

comparative (estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete)

comparative (relating to or based on or involving comparison)

compare (qualities that are comparable)

comparing (the act of examining resemblances)

comparison (qualities that are comparable)

Sense 4

Meaning:

To form the comparative or superlative form on an adjective or adverb

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "compare" is one way to...):

inflect (change the form of a word in accordance as required by the grammatical rules of the language)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

There was some sense of freedom in the vast expanse, inaccessible though it was to me, as compared with the narrow darkness of the courtyard.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The determination of the ratio of alpha-2 globulin compared to total protein present in a sample.

(Alpha-2 Globulin to Total Protein Ratio Measurement, NCI Thesaurus)

Standard criteria to compare the effectiveness of various arthritis medications or treatments.

(American College of Rheumatology Criteria for Improvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis, NCI Thesaurus)

All the pain he had endured was as nothing compared with the exquisite agony of this.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

“You know you did. You said I hadn't turned out well, and compared me to him.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Standard criteria to compare the effectiveness of medications or treatments for rheumatoid diseases.

(American College of Rheumatology Improvement Criteria, NCI Thesaurus)

The seas previously encountered were as ripples compared with these, which ran a half-mile from crest to crest and which upreared, I am confident, above our masthead.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

But what is that compared with the number of your successes?

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The determination of the ratio of alpha-1 globulin compared to total protein present in a sample.

(Alpha-1 Globulin to Total Protein Ratio Measurement, NCI Thesaurus)

Well, then, will you please compare that print with this wax impression of young McFarlane’s right thumb, taken by my orders this morning?

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)