Confusing Words: (phrases)
Meaning:
Compared to: (estimate, measure, or note the similarity or dissimilarity between.)
Compared with: (when compared.)
Compared to or Compared with Clarification: There is a slight difference between compared to and compared with.
Compared To or Compared With – What is the Difference, Definition & Meaning?
Writers should be perfect with word choice. Incorrect phrases or word choice can give a very bad impression and can ruin any writer’s writings. Today, I am coming up with two phrases that are often get confused. They are so closely related to each other but there is a slight difference between them. The case is compared to vs. compared with.
The beginning word of each of the above phrase is same, which is a verb. Firstly, I will define the word ‘compare’ then, I will talk about the phrases.
Definition of Compare: Compare is used as a verb within a sentence. It is used to measure or to note down the similarities or differences between two things or ideas. For example, ‘I cannot compare these two views….’
Now, coming towards the two phrases ‘compared to’ and ‘compared with’, to and with are prepositions that are connected to the past tense of compare (i.e. compared). Usually, people use both of these phrases interchangeably but you have to keep in mind that there is a slight difference between them. Let’s talk about them one by one.
Compared To
This particular phrase is used to point out the similarities between two different things or ideas.
1. Her writing is compared to the work of her best friend.
2. Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best. (Michael Johnson)
Compared With
This particular phrase is used to contrast or to point out the differences and/or similarities between two things or ideas.
For example,
3. He checked out a great loss in his business this year compared with a profit last year.
4. It is good to be compared with the best player (Pele). But my dad told me about Garrincha’s style as he moved forward, went up, attacked and dribbled. Garrincha’s style is more similar to Neymar’s. (Neymar)
Check Out: What Is An Analogy?
Got the Difference?
As you have read the above explanation, compared to and compared with are often used interchangeably by most of the people. However, there are few people who know that both of these phrases have a slight difference between them.
Just remember that compared with is used to contrast or to juxtapose two things or ideas. Compared to, on the other hand, is used to liken or to point out the similarities between two things or ideas.
Thus, in the above example, life is often compared to a marathon… It means that the writer is pointing out some similarities between ‘life’ and ‘marathon’.
On the other hand, in the third and fourth example, compared with is juxtaposing two ideas.
What Did You Learn?
There is a slight difference between compared to and compared with. Compared to is used to point out the similarities between two different things or ideas. On the other hand, compared with is used to contrast or to point out the differences and/or similarities between two things or ideas.