► compare to think about how two or more people or things are similar or different:
When we got our tests back, my friend and I compared our grades.He is an incredible basketball player and some people have compared him to Michael Jordan.► make a comparison also draw a comparison to compare two or more things or people, and often say that they are similar in some way:
Richards drew a comparison between America in the 1770s and what is happening now in the Middle East.We made a comparison of the two paintings and decided they were by the same artist.► contrast AWL to say how two things or people are different:
In the novel, he contrasts the lives of two families living in New York, one of them rich and the other poor.➔ Students are often asked to compare and contrast two things in essays. This means that they should find the similarities and the differences between them.► make a distinction between also draw a distinction to say that you think two related things are very different:
It is important to make a distinction between scientific facts and things that people believe are true.► draw a parallel (formal) to say that things are similar in some ways:
It is possible to draw a parallel between the professions of acting and politics.► draw an analogy also make an analogy (formal) to say that two things are similar, even though they seem very different at first:
Some people have drawn an analogy between poetry and mathematics, saying that they both express complex ideas in a short form.The artist explained the creative process by making an analogy with childbirth.► check against to compare something with something else to see if they are the same:
The teacher checked the names of the children who were present against her list of registered students.