Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Comparative |
ComparativeAdjective1. Relating to or based on or involving comparison; "comparative linguistics". 2. Having significance only in relation to something else; "a comparative newcomer". Noun1. The comparative form of an adjective; "`better' is the comparative of `good'". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "comparative" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
| COMPASS | English | Comparative Assessment of Environmental Implications of Various Energy Systems | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Comparison | Noun: comparison, collation, contrast; identification; comparative estimate, relative estimate, relativity. |
Adjective: comparative; metaphorical. | |
Degree | Adjective: comparative; gradual, shading off; within the bounds; (limit). |
Language | Lexicology, philology, glossology, glottology; linguistics, chrestomathy; paleology, paleography; comparative grammar. |
Zoology | Noun: zoology, zoonomy, zoography, zootomy; anatomy; comparative anatomy; animal physiology, comparative physiology; morphology; mammalogy. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Oh, you teach, uh, Comparative Religion? (Oliver's Travels; writing credit: Alan Plater) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Comparative Religions (1962) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Periodicals | |||
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | "Honolulu and Its Fringing Reef", Plate VI. In: "Coral Reefs of the Hawaiian Islands" by Alexander Agassiz. April 1889. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Harvard College. Vol. XVII. No. 3. Library Call Number G161 A26. Credit: America's Coastlines. |  | "Eastern Side of the Entrance to Honolulu Harbor", Plate VII. In: "Coral Reefs of the Hawaiian Islands" by Alexander Agassiz. April 1889. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Harvard College. Vol. XVII. No. 3. Library Call Number G161 A26. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
 | Small pipes were moved to the interior of larger pipes to create more complex habitats for comparative studies. Credit: The Coral Kingdom. |  | Figures 1 and 2, Oculina robusta Pourtales. Figures 3 and 4, Oculina varicosa Leseuer. Figures 5-7, Astrocoenia pectinata Pourtales. In: "Report on the Florida Reefs", 1880, by Louis Agassiz. Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Vol. VII, No. 1. Plate II. These plates help document the oldest studies of the Florida Reefs. Credit: The Coral Kingdom. |
 | Figures 1-10, Mycedium fragile Dana. Figures 11-13, Agaricia agaricites Milne-Edw. and Haime. Siderastraea galaxea Milne-Edw. and Haime. In: "Report on the Florida Reefs", 1880, by Louis Agassiz. Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Vol. VII, No. 1. Plate XI. These plates help document the oldest studies of the Florida Reefs. Credit: The Coral Kingdom. |  | Text accompanying Plate I. In: "Report on the Florida Reefs", 1880, by Louis Agassiz. Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Vol. VII, No. 1. Plate I. NOAA Central Library Call No. QE565.A263 1880 These plates help document the oldest studies of the Florida Reefs. Credit: The Coral Kingdom. |
 | James L. Cabell, M.D. : Professor of Comparative Anatomy, Physiology and Surgery of the University of VA. / A.B. Walter eng'd. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | Moored at Naval Operating Base, Yokosuka, Japan, following Korean War operations. Photographed during July-October 1950, possibly in late October, just before Toledo departed Yokosuka to return to the U.S. for overhaul. Note the comparative sizes of these two cruisers. Credit: NAVY. |
 | Towers at Utrecht and Venice, and Broadway Chambers Building (New York, N.Y.). Comparative perspective elevation study] / [by] CG. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | The next few days were ones of comparative quiet. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | It was not in his calmness that she read his comparative difference. |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | But the dining out, being, as I have stated, a constant element, does not in the least affect a comparative statement like this. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Rather, these definitions were designed to facilitate comparative studies. (references) | |
For these disease groups, the limited comparative data available reveal no differences in efficacy among the licensed preparations. (references) | ||
Tamoxifen has less acute toxicity than chemotherapy, but no statement is possible regarding chronic toxicity or comparative efficacy. (references) | ||
Business | Argentina has strong comparative advantages in all of these sectors. (references) | |
This industry attracts foreign capital because of comparative low cost and high local demand. (references) | ||
Recognizing this, the Government has instituted a number of policies to promote E&T as the means to make Vietnam's workforce a sustainable comparative advantage. (references) | ||
Children | Yemen | The infant mortality rate in 1999 was 75 deaths per 1,000 births, down from 105 per 1,000 in 1998. Male children receive preferential treatment over female children; after the age of a year, male children have a 12 percent greater chance of survival than females, a result of the comparative neglect of female children. (references) |
Civil Liberties | Turkmenistan | It does not tolerate criticism of government policy or the President in academic circles, and it discourages research into areas it considers politically sensitive, such as comparative law, history, or ethnic relations. (references) |
Russia | In May and June, a poll conducted among adults throughout the country by the Institute for Comparative Social Research reported that 7 percent of adults have access to the Internet and that Moscow and St. Petersburg have the highest number of users. (references) | |
Economic History | Brazil | Few are the countries with as many comparative advantages in producing grains, fruit, fibers, and animal protein as Brazil. (references) |
Argentina | Argentine lawyers commonly pursue LLMs in the U.S. in the fields of corporate law, international comparative law, or environmental law. (references) | |
Germany | Success in the marketplace can be achieved by countering this comparative disadvantage with high quality products and service, at the right price. (references) | |
Political Economy | Iceland | An abundance of inexpensive hydroelectric power provides a comparative advantage for aluminum smelting, the main manufacturing activity. (references) |
IRELAND | Ireland's General Government Debt at the end 2000 amounted to just over 40.5 billion dollars (using average 2000 exchange rates), equivalent to just over 31 percent of GDP. By end 2000, Ireland's comparative indebtedness was the second lowest among the 15 EU Member States. (references) | |
Trade | Bulgaria | This has placed some dutiable U.S. products such as soda ash and agricultural machinery at a comparative disadvantage. (references) |
Travel | Korea | Any comparative mention of Japan versus Korea, where Japan has the upper edge may harm a business deal. (references) |
Women | Belgium | In 1996, the last year for which comparative statistics are available, women in blue-collar jobs earned 79 percent of the salary of their male counterparts. (references) |
Kiribati | Statistics on the participation of women in the work force and on comparative wages were unavailable, and statistics generally are not well collected in the country. (references) | |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | MORE, adj. The comparative degree of too much. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
James Monroe | 1817-1825 | If we look to the comparative strength and resources of Spain and those new Governments, and their distance from each other, it must be obvious that she can never subdue them. |
John Quincy Adams | 1825-1829 | The labor of taking them would be a trifling addition to that already prescribed, and the result would exhibit comparative tables of longevity highly interesting to the country. |
James Buchanan | 1857-1861 | But the squandering of the public money sinks into comparative insignificance as a temptation to corruption when compared with the squandering of the public lands. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Comparative" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Comparative" is used about 1,393 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 100% | 1,393 | 5,752 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "comparative": ASTM comparative method of designating grain size ♦ comparative advantage ♦ comparative anatomist ♦ comparative anatomy ♦ comparative balance sheets ♦ comparative bidding ♦ comparative cost ♦ comparative cover ♦ comparative degree ♦ comparative education ♦ comparative estimate ♦ comparative gene mapping ♦ Comparative grammar ♦ comparative law ♦ comparative lifetime ♦ comparative literature ♦ comparative negligence ♦ comparative philology ♦ comparative physiology ♦ comparative property ♦ comparative psychology ♦ comparative relation ♦ Comparative sciences ♦ comparative statement ♦ comparative statements ♦ comparative variable ♦ Intel Comparative Microprocessor Performance index ♦ theory of comparative cost. Additional references. | |
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "comparative": non-comparative. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "comparative"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | shkallë krahasore, relativ (relational, relative), krahasues, krahasor, krahasimtar. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | مقارن, نسبي (genealogical, proportional, prorate, relative), غير مطلق (relative), المقارن. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | сравнителна степен, сравнителен (relative), относителен (mediate, relatival, relative, respective). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | "较 (Comparatively, Compare, Compared, Comparing, Comparison). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | srovnávací, pomìrný (relative), komparativní, komparativ, druhý stupeò. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | sammenlignende dækning (comparative cover), bestemmelse ved sammenlignende kolorimetri (comparative colorimetric method), formler og sammenligningstabeller inden for plasmafysikken (formulae and comparative tables of plasma physics), komparativ fordel (comparative advantage, comparative cost), komparativ relation (comparative relation), komparativ undersøgelse (clinical trial, comparative clinical trial), rapport om sammenlignende bestemmelser af blyoxid i svaevestoev fra storbyer (report on comparative indications of lead oxide in the suspended dust of large cities), ASTM-sammenligningsmetode til kornstoerrelsesbetegnelse 1-8 (ASTM comparative method of designating grain size), sammenlignelige levetider (comparative lifetime), sammenligningsrelation (comparative relation), sammenlignende mikrokosmosproeve (comparative microcosm test), sammenlignende oversigt (comparative statement), sammenlignende pædagogik (comparative education), sammenlignende prøvning (comparative test, comparison test), sammenlignende undersøgelse (comparative test), sammenlignende undersoegelse (comparative study, comparative test), sammenligning af bud (comparative bidding), sammenlignelige halveringstider (comparative lifetime). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | vergelýkend. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | مقایسه ای , نسبی (Relative, Respective), تطبیقی , صفت تفضیلی , درجه تفضیلی . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | vertaileva, suhteellinen (proportional, proportionate, relative), komparatiivi. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | comparatif, comparable (comparable), étudié. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | vergleichend (comparing, likening), komparativ. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | συγκριτικόσ (relative), σχετικόσ (germane, pertinent, relational, relative, relevant, respective), παραθετικόσ γραμματικήσ. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | משו י (equatorial), יחסי (commensurate, proportional, relative), "שואתי. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | középfok, összehasonlító (comparator, datum level). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | comparato, comparativo, relativo (pertinent, relational, relative, relatively, relevant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 較優位論 (theory of comparative advantage), 較優位論 (theory of comparative advantage), "較言語学 (comparative linguistics), "較級 (comparative degree), "較文学 (comparative literature). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | ひかくきゅう (comparative degree), ひかくぶ"がく (comparative literature), ひかく'""がく (comparative linguistics), かくゆういろ" (theory of comparative advantage). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 비교 (Comparing, Comparison, competitiveness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | soylee. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | omparativecay comparativo, relativo (concerning, relational, relative, relevant). (various references) comparativ (by comparison, comparatively, relative), relativ (adjectival, adjective, attributive, comparatively, proportional, relative, relatively). (various references) сравнительный. (various references) uporedni stepen, uporedan (contrasting, parallel), komparativ. (various references) comparativo (likening), relativo (relating, relative, relatively). (various references) relativ (relational, relatival, relative), jämförande (comparing). (various references) uygun (acceptable, accommodating, adaptable, adequate, advisable, agreeable, allowable, answerable, applicable, apposite, appropriate, apropos, apt, becoming, befitting, calculated, comely, commensurate, compatible, concordant, conformable, congenial, congruent, congruous, consistent, convenient, cool, correct, decent, done, due, eligible, enjoyable, equal, expedient, fair, fair enough, favorable, favourable, felicitous, fine, fit, fitted, fitting, for, in place, keen, likely, lovely, made to order, matching, meet, nice, opportune, permitting, pertinent, pleasant, proper, propitious, proportional, prosperous, pursuant, relevant, ripe, seasonable, seemly, Square, suitable, suited, tailormade, up to, well, well-matched), orantılı (commensurate, mean, proportional), karşılaştırma yoluyla yapılan, kıyaslamalı, üstünlük derecesini gösteren. (various references) відносний (relational, relative, relativistic), порівняльний (congruous). (various references) so sánh tương đối. (various references) cymharol. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "comparative": comparatively, comparativeness, comparativenesses, comparatives. (additional references) | |
| |
"Comparative" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: comaprative, comparatif, comparitive, compatative, comperitive. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "comparative" (pronounced kumpe"rutiv) |
| 8 | -m p e" r u t i v | imperative. |
| 6 | -e" r u t i v | narrative. |
| 5 | -r u t i v | commemorative, curative, decorative, demonstrative, illustrative, interpretive, lucrative, nutritive, pejorative, restorative, secretive. |
| 4 | -u t i v | accusative, acquisitive, additive, affirmative, alliterative, alternative, anticompetitive, argumentative, causative, cognitive, communicative, competitive, consecutive, conservative, consultative, contemplative, cumulative, definitive, degenerative, derivative, diminutive, dispositive, duplicative, evocative, executive, expletive, exploitative, Federative, figurative, fixative, formative, fugitive, generative, hypersensitive, imaginative, indicative, infinitive, informative, initiative, inoperative, inquisitive, insensitive, intuitive, laxative, negative, neoconservative, noncompetitive, noncumulative, nonexecutive, normative, operative, palliative, participative, positive, prerogative, preservative, preventative, primitive, prohibitive, provocative, punitive, putative, recuperative, relative, remunerative, rep, repetitive, representative, sedative, sensitive, speculative, superlative, talkative, tentative, ultraconservative, uncompetitive, uncooperative, unimaginative, uninformative, unrepresentative, vituperative. |
| 3 | -t i v | abortive, accommodative, accumulative, active, adaptive, addictive, adjective, administrative, adoptive, affective, appointive, appreciative, assaultive, assertive, attentive, attractive, authoritative, automotive, captive, collaborative, collective, combative, conductive, congestive, connective, constructive, contraceptive, cooperative, corrective, corruptive, counterproductive, creative, deceptive, defective, deliberative, descriptive, destructive, detective, digestive, dilutive, directive, disincentive, disparages, disruptive, dissipative, distinctive, distributive, effective, elective, elucidative, eruptive, exhaustive, exploitive, facultative, festive, furtive, hyperactive, imitative, inactive, inattentive, incentive, ineffective, infective, injunctive, innovative, instinctive, instructive, interactive, introspective, invective, inventive, investigative, irrespective, iterative, legislative, locomotive, manipulative, meditative, motive, native, nonautomotive, nonnative, nonproductive, objective, obstructive, octave, overactive, perceptive, perspective, photoconductive, plaintive, predictive, preemptive, presumptive, preventive, proactive, probative, productive, prognosticative, projective, prospective, protective, qualitative, quantitative, radioactive, reactive, receptive, reconstructive, redemptive, redistributive, reflective, refractive, regulative, rehabilitative, reproductive, respective, restive, restrictive, retroactive, retrospective, seductive, selective, stimulative, subjective, substantive, suggestive, superconductive, supportive, unattractive, unproductive, unreceptive, vegetative, vindictive. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-a-c-e-i-m-o-p-r-t-v" | |
-2 letters: ametropia, ametropic, metacarpi, preatomic, proactive. | |
-3 letters: aromatic, caveator, copremia, impacter, impactor, mercapto, operatic, vicarate. | |
-4 letters: acromia, amative, amirate, apomict, apricot, aprotic, apteria, avarice, aviator, campier, captive, caviare, compare, compart, coremia, crampit, ectopia, emporia, erotica, evictor, improve, marcato, meropia, meropic, metopic, mortice, overact, overapt, overtip, ovipara, paretic, parotic, peacoat, picrate, potamic, precava, primate, private. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-a-c-e-i-m-o-p-r-t-v" | |
+1 letter: comparatives. | |
+2 letters: comparatively. | |
+4 letters: comparativeness. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Quotations: Fiction 8. Quotations: Non-fiction | 9. Quotations: Speeches 10. Usage Frequency 11. Expressions 12. Expressions: Internet | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Abbreviations 15. Acronyms 16. Derivations | 17. Rhymes 18. Anagrams 19. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
