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co m|pa|ny ca r (company cars ) N‑COUNT A company car is a car which an employer gives to an employee to use as their own, usually as a benefit of having a particular job, or because their job involves a lot of travelling. [BUSINESS ]

co m|pa|ny se c|re|tary (company secretaries ) N‑COUNT A company secretary is a person whose job within a company is to keep the legal affairs, accounts, and administration in order. [BRIT , BUSINESS ]

com|pa|rable /kɒ mpərəb ^ə l/

1 ADJ Something that is comparable to something else is roughly similar, for example in amount or importance. □  …paying the same wages to men and women for work of comparable value. □ [+ to ] Farmers were meant to get an income comparable to that of townspeople. □ [+ with ] The risk it poses is comparable with smoking just one cigarette every year.

2 ADJ If two or more things are comparable , they are of the same kind or are in the same situation, and so they can reasonably be compared. □  In other comparable countries real wages increased much more rapidly. □  By contrast, the comparable figure for the Netherlands is 16 per cent.

com|para|tive /kəmpæ rət I v/ (comparatives )

1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use comparative to show that you are judging something against a previous or different situation. For example, comparative calm is a situation which is calmer than before or calmer than the situation in other places. □  …those who manage to reach the comparative safety of Fendel. □  The task was accomplished with comparative ease. ●  com|para|tive|ly ADV [ADV adj/adv] □  …a comparatively small nation. □  …children who find it comparatively easy to make and keep friends.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] A comparative study is a study that involves the comparison of two or more things of the same kind. □  …a comparative study of the dietary practices of people from various regions. □  …a professor of English and comparative literature.

3 ADJ [ADJ n] In grammar, the comparative form of an adjective or adverb shows that something has more of a quality than something else has. For example, 'bigger' is the comparative form of 'big', and 'more quickly' is the comparative form of 'quickly'. Compare superlative . ● N‑COUNT Comparative is also a noun. □ [+ of ] The comparative of 'pretty' is 'prettier'.

com|pare ◆◇◇ /kəmpeə ^r / (compares , comparing , compared )

1 VERB When you compare things, you consider them and discover the differences or similarities between them. □ [V n] Compare the two illustrations in Fig 60. □ [V n + with ] Was it fair to compare independent schools with state schools? □ [V n + to ] Note how smooth the skin of the upper arm is, then compare it to the skin on the elbow.

2to compare notes → see note

3 VERB If you compare one person or thing to another, you say that they are like the other person or thing. □ [V n + to/with ] Some commentators compared his work to that of James Joyce. □ [V n + to/with ] I can only compare the experience to falling in love.

4 VERB If one thing compares favourably with another, it is better than the other thing. If it compares unfavourably, it is worse than the other thing. □ [V adv + with ] Our road safety record compares favourably with that of other European countries. □ [V adv] How do the two techniques compare in terms of application?

5 VERB [usu with neg] If you say that something does not compare with something else, you mean that it is much worse. □ [V + with ] The flowers here do not compare with those at home.

6 → see also compared