different between similar vs comparative
similar
English
Etymology
From French similaire, from Medieval Latin similaris, extended from Latin similis (“like”); akin to simul (“together”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?s?m?l?/
- (General American) IPA(key): /?s?m?l?/
Adjective
similar (comparative more similar, superlative most similar)
- Having traits or characteristics in common; alike, comparable.
- So this was my future home, I thought! Certainly it made a brave picture. I had seen similar ones fired-in on many a Heidelberg stein. Backed by towering hills, […] a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
- (mathematics) Of geometrical figures including triangles, squares, ellipses, arcs and more complex figures, having the same shape but possibly different size, rotational orientation, and position; in particular, having corresponding angles equal and corresponding line segments proportional; such that one can be had from the other using a sequence of rotations, translations and scalings.
Synonyms
- (with common characteristics): akin, alike, comparable, identical, same, twin
Antonyms
- (alike): different, unlike, dissimilar
Derived terms
- similarity
- similarly
- similarness
Related terms
Translations
Noun
similar (plural similars)
- That which is similar to, or resembles, something else, as in quality, form, etc.
- (homeopathy) A material that produces an effect that resembles the symptoms of a particular disease.
Further reading
- similar in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- similar in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin simil?ris.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic) IPA(key): /si.mi?la/
- (Central) IPA(key): /si.mi?lar/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /si.mi?la?/
Adjective
similar (masculine and feminine plural similars)
- similar
- Synonym: semblant
Related terms
- similitud
Further reading
- “similar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Portuguese
Pronunciation
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /s?.mi.?la?/
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /si.mi.?la(?)/
- Hyphenation: si?mi?lar
Adjective
similar m or f (plural similares, comparable)
- similar (having traits or characteristics in common)
- Synonyms: parecido, semelhante
Romanian
Etymology
From French similaire
Adjective
similar m or n (feminine singular similar?, masculine plural similari, feminine and neuter plural similare)
- similar
Declension
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /simi?la?/, [si.mi?la?]
- Hyphenation: si?mi?lar
Adjective
similar (plural similares)
- similar
- Synonyms: semejante, parecido, símil (rare)
- Antonyms: desemejante, desigual, diferente, disímil, dispar, disparejo, diverso
Related terms
- similitud
Further reading
- “similar” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.
similar From the web:
- what similarity is explained in this excerpt
- what similarity between the two myths
comparative
English
Etymology
From Middle French comparatif, from Latin comparativus, equivalent to comparatus, from comparare (“to compare”) + -ive, from Latin -ivus.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /k?m?pæ?.?.t?v/
- (General American) enPR: k?m?p?r-?-t?v
- (Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA(key): /k?m?pæ?.?.t?v/
- (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): /k?m?p??.?.t?v/
- (Mary–marry–merry distinction)
- (Mary–marry–merry merger)
- Hyphenation: com?par?a?tive
Adjective
comparative (comparative more comparative, superlative most comparative)
- Of or relating to comparison.
- (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- 1773, James Burnett, Of the Origin and Progress of Language
- that kind of animals that have the comparative faculty, by which they compare things together, deliberate and resolve
- Using comparison as a method of study, or founded on something using it.
- Approximated by comparison; relative.
- 1837, William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences
- The recurrence of comparative warmth and cold.
- 1692, Richard Bentley, A Confutation of Atheism
- This bubble, […] by reason of its comparative levity to the fluid that encloses it, would necessarily ascend to the top.
- 1837, William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences
- (obsolete) Comparable; bearing comparison.
- 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, II.137:
- And need he had of slumber yet, for none / Had suffered more—his hardships were comparative / To those related in my grand-dad's Narrative.
- 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, II.137:
Derived terms
Translations
Noun
comparative (plural comparatives)
- (grammar) A construction showing a relative quality, in English usually formed by adding more or appending -er. For example, the comparative of green is greener; of evil, more evil.
- (grammar) A word in the comparative form.
- (chiefly in the plural) Data used to make a comparison.
- (obsolete) An equal; a rival; a compeer.
- Gerrard ever was / His full comparative.
- (obsolete) One who makes comparisons; one who affects wit.
- 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Pt. 1, III.ii.67:
- Every beardless vain comparative.
- 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Pt. 1, III.ii.67:
Synonyms
- (grammar: degree): comparative degree
Translations
Related terms
- absolute, absolute superlative, relative superlative, comparative superlative
- degrees of comparison
- superlative
See also
- contrastive
References
- “comparative”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, ?ISBN
- “comparative” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- "comparative" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.
Anagrams
- vampire taco
French
Adjective
comparative
- feminine singular of comparatif
Italian
Adjective
comparative
- feminine plural of comparativo
Anagrams
- comparivate
- crepitavamo
Latin
Adjective
compar?t?ve
- vocative masculine singular of compar?t?vus
References
- comparative in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
comparative From the web:
- what comparative adjective
- what comparative advantage
- what comparative and superlative adjectives
- what comparative means
- what comparative government
- what comparative degree
- what comparative and superlative
- what comparative religion
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