The difference between Comparable and Similar

When used as nouns, comparable means something suitable for comparison, whereas similar means that which is similar to, or resembles, something else, as in quality, form, etc.

When used as adjectives, comparable means able to be compared (to), whereas similar means having traits or characteristics in common.


check bellow for the other definitions of Comparable and Similar

  1. Comparable as an adjective (often with ''to''):

    Able to be compared (to).

    Examples:

    "An elephant is comparable in size to a double-decker bus."

    "You can't say that robbing a bank is like pickpocketing. The two are just not comparable."

  2. Comparable as an adjective (often with ''to''):

    Similar (to); like.

  3. Comparable as an adjective (mathematics):

    Constituting a pair in a particular partial order.

    Examples:

    "Six and forty-two are comparable in the'' divides'' order, but six and nine are not."

  4. Comparable as an adjective (grammar):

    Said of an adjective that has a comparative and superlative form.

    Examples:

    "Big" is a comparable adjective, since it can take the forms "bigger" and "biggest"; but "unique" is not comparable, except in disputed, but common, usage."

  1. Comparable as a noun:

    Something suitable for comparison.

  1. Similar as an adjective:

    Having traits or characteristics in common; alike, comparable.

  2. Similar as an adjective (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.

  1. Similar as a noun:

    That which is similar to, or resembles, something else, as in quality, form, etc.

  2. Similar as a noun (homeopathy):

    A material that produces an effect that resembles the symptoms of a particular disease.