Relative merits (=what is good about them compared with each other)
The two men stood at the bar discussing the relative merits of various sports cars.
It is all relative (=it cannot be judged on its own, but must be compared with others)
It's all relative, isn't it? Someone who is poor in this country might be considered
well off in another.
Relatively Once you've mastered the basic strokes of squash, the rest is relatively simple.
Comparative happiness/comfort/safety etc Happiness, comfort, safety etc that is fairly satisfactory when compared to another
After a lifetime of poverty, his last few years were spent in comparative comfort.
Fresh fruit and vegetables have become a comparative rarity in the region.
During the bombings, families sheltered in the comparative safety of the
underground rail stations.
Comparatively We were absolutely broke in those days. Now we're comparatively well off.
More/less/bigger etc than Geographically, Canada is bigger than the US.
My sister earns a lot more than I do.
2. To compare things Compare something/somebody with I hate the way you always compare me with your ex-boyfriend.
If you compare rents in London with those in New York, you'll find they are about the
same.
You can't compare Charlie Parker with John Coltrane. They were completely different
musicians.
Liken somebody/something to Critics have likened the new city hall building to a barn.
Morris has often been likened to Bobby Kennedy.
He likened today's stock market to that of the 1920s.
Make a comparison between The article makes a comparison between the novels 'Anna Karenina' and 'Madame
Bovary'.
Draw an analogy between He drew an analogy between mathematics and language.
Joe drew an analogy between the Soviet Union of 1946 and Germany of 1938
