noun comparison.
2. compare ·noun illustration by comparison; simile.
3. compare ·vi to vie; to assume a likeness or equality.
4. compare ·vt to represent as similar, for the purpose of illustration; to liken.
5. compare ·vi to be like or equal; to admit, or be worthy of, comparison; as, his later work does not compare with his earlier.
6. compare ·vt to get; to procure; to obtain; to acquire.
7. compare ·vt to examine the character or qualities of, as of two or more persons or things, for the purpose of discovering their resemblances or differences; to bring into comparison; to regard with discriminating attention.
8. compare ·vt to inflect according to the degrees of comparison; to state positive, comparative, and superlative forms of; as, most adjectives of one syllable are compared by affixing "- er" and "-est" to the positive form; as, black, blacker, blackest; those of more than one syllable are usually compared by prefixing "more" and "most", or "less" and "least", to the positive; as, beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful.