c. 1400, "regard or treat as equal;" early 15c. "liken, make a comparison, represent as similar," from Old French comparer "to compare, liken" (12c.), from Latin comparare "to liken, to compare," from com "with, together" (see com-) + par "equal" (see par (n.)). Related: Compared; comparing.

From c. 1500 as "note the similarities and differences of." Intransitive sense "bear comparison" is from mid-15c. To compare notes is from 1708.

In phrase without compare (1620s, with similar phrasing to 1530s) it might be altered by folk etymology from compeer "rival" (with-outen compere is attested from c. 1400) or blended with it; Middle English had withouten comparacioun (mid-15c.), wyþe-oute comparisoun (mid-14c.).

"capable of being compared," early 15c., from Old French comparable, from Latin comparabilis "capable of comparison," from comparare "make equal with, liken, bring together for a contest," from com "with, together" (see com-) + par "equal" (see par (n.)). Related: Comparably; comparability.

mid-14c., "equal, match, resemblance, similarity," from Old French comparaison "comparison" (12c.), from Latin comparationem (nominative comparatio), noun of action from past participle stem of comparare "make equal with, liken, bring together for a contest," from com "with, together" (see com-) + par "equal" (see par (n.)).

From late 14c. as "act of putting two things together and regarding them as equal," also "act of comparing."

"be like, have likeness or similarity to," mid-14c., from Old French resembler "be like" (12c., Modern French ressemble), from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix, + sembler "to appear, to seem, be like," from Latin simulare "to make like, imitate, copy, represent," from stem of similis "like, resembling, of the same kind" (see similar).

Also formerly "to compare or liken (one to another); make an image of" (late 14c.). Related: Resembled; resembling.

mid-15c., "implying comparison," from Old French comparatif, from Latin comparativus "pertaining to comparison," from comparat-, past participle stem of comparare "make equal with, liken, bring together for a contest," from com "with, together" (see com-) + par "equal" (see par (n.)).

Originally grammatical and applied to derived adjectives such as greater, stronger, softer. General sense of "estimated by comparison, relative" is from 1590s. Meaning "involving the parallel pursuit of different branches of a subject" is from 1670s. Old English used wiðmetendlic as a loan-translation of Latin comparativus. Related: Comparatively.