1. (n.) The act of comparing; an examination of two or more objects with the view of discovering the resemblances or differences; relative estimate.

2. (n.) The state of being compared; a relative estimate; also, a state, quality, or relation, admitting of being compared; as, to bring a thing into comparison with another; there is no comparison between them.

3. (n.) That to which, or with which, a thing is compared, as being equal or like; illustration; similitude.

4. (n.) The modification, by inflection or otherwise, which the adjective and adverb undergo to denote degrees of quality or quantity; as, little, less, least, are examples of comparison.

5. (n.) A figure by which one person or thing is compared to another, or the two are considered with regard to some property or quality, which is common to them both; e.g., the lake sparkled like a jewel.

6. (n.) The faculty of the reflective group which is supposed to perceive resemblances and contrasts.

7. (v. t.) To compare.

accordance affinity agent agreement alikeness alliance alternate alternative analogy aping approach approximation assimilation backup balance balancing change changeling closeness commensurability community comparability conformity contrast contrasting copy copying correspondence counterfeit deputy double dummy equal equivalent ersatz exchange fake fill-in ghost ghostwriter identity imitation juxtaposing juxtaposition kinship likeness likening locum tenens makeshift match metaphor metonymy mimicking nearness next best thing parallelism parity personnel phony pinch hitter proxy relation relationship relief replacement representative resemblance reserves ringer sameness second string secondary semblance sign similarity simile similitude simulation spares stand-in sub substituent substitute substitution succedaneum superseder supplanter surrogate symbol synecdoche third string token understudy utility player vicar vice-president vice-regent weighing