incomparable
English
editEtymology
editFrom Middle English incomparable, from Middle French incomparable, from Old French [Term?], from Latin incomparābilis. Equivalent to in- + comparable.
Pronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪŋˈkɒmp(ə)rəbəl/, /ɪŋkəmˈpærəbəl/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /ɪŋˈkɑmp(ə)ɹəbəl/, /ɪŋkəmˈpɛɹəbəl/
Adjective
editincomparable (comparative more incomparable, superlative most incomparable)
- Not comparable.
- Synonyms: noncomparable, uncomparable
- Antonym: comparable
- So much better than another as to be beyond comparison.
- Synonyms: matchless, unsurpassed
- c. 1905, Oscar Wilde, edited by Robert Baldwin Ross, De Profundis, published 1909, page 112:
- I know of nothing in all drama more incomparable from the point of view of art, nothing more suggestive in its subtlety of observation, than Shakespeare's drawing of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Usage notes
edit- Using more or most with incomparable, though often disapproved of, is relatively common. Such uses may once have only been accepted for poetic effect, but are now widespread.
- Despite its apparently absolute meaning, incomparable is often used as if there were degrees of incomparability, occurring with adverbs such as so and very.
Derived terms
editTranslations
editnot comparable
|
beyond comparison
|
See also
editNoun
editincomparable (plural incomparables)
- Something beyond compare; a thing with which there is no comparison.
Further reading
edit- “incomparable”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- “incomparable”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- “incomparable”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
- “incomparable”, in Collins English Dictionary.
- incomparable, uncomparable, noncomparable at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.
Catalan
editEtymology
editBorrowed from Latin incomparābilis.
Pronunciation
edit- IPA(key): (Central) [iŋ.kum.pəˈɾab.blə]
- IPA(key): (Balearic) [iŋ.kom.pəˈɾab.blə]
- IPA(key): (Valencia) [iŋ.kom.paˈɾa.ble]
Adjective
editincomparable m or f (masculine and feminine plural incomparables)
- uncomparable, incomparable
- Antonym: comparable
Derived terms
editFurther reading
edit- “incomparable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “incomparable”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
- “incomparable” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “incomparable” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
French
editEtymology
editFrom Latin incomparābilis.
Pronunciation
editAdjective
editincomparable (plural incomparables)
- incomparable; uncomparable
- Antonym: comparable
Derived terms
editFurther reading
edit- “incomparable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Occitan
editEtymology
editFrom Latin incomparābilis.
Adjective
editincomparable m (feminine singular incomparabla, masculine plural incomparables, feminine plural incomparablas)
- uncomparable, incomparable
- Antonym: comparable
Further reading
edit- Joan de Cantalausa (2006) Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians[1], 2 edition, →ISBN, page 560.
- Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2024, page 338.
Spanish
editEtymology
editFrom Latin incomparābilis.
Pronunciation
editAdjective
editincomparable m or f (masculine and feminine plural incomparables)
- uncomparable
- Antonym: comparable
Derived terms
editFurther reading
edit- “incomparable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms prefixed with in-
- English 5-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- Catalan terms borrowed from Latin
- Catalan terms derived from Latin
- Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan adjectives
- Catalan epicene adjectives
- French terms derived from Latin
- French 4-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French lemmas
- French adjectives
- Occitan terms derived from Latin
- Occitan lemmas
- Occitan adjectives
- Spanish terms derived from Latin
- Spanish 5-syllable words
- Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Spanish/able
- Rhymes:Spanish/able/5 syllables
- Spanish lemmas
- Spanish adjectives
- Spanish epicene adjectives