Compare and Contrast

Compare and Contrast Compare and Contrast Compare and Contrast By Maeve Maddox Jay asks â€Å"Compare with† = contrast; What are the circumstances by which one would use contrast as the verb instead? In general use, such as in writing a compare/contrast essay, compare means find the similarities and contrast means find the differences. Definitions from the OED: compare:. trans. To speak of or represent as similar; to liken. contrast: To set in opposition in order to show strikingly their different qualities or characteristics, and compare their superiorities or defects. Compare derives from Latin comparare to liken, to compare. Contrast derives from Latin contra, against plus stare, to stand. In Middle English the word was used in the literal sense to withstand or fight against as in battle. The word fell out of use until the end of the 17th century when it was reintroduced as an art term meaning to place in such juxtaposition as to bring strongly out differences of form, colour, etc., and thus to produce a striking effect. For differences in meaning between compare to and compare with, see Compared to or Compared with. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food†Taser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?Quiet or Quite?