incomparable

From Middle English incomparable, from Middle French incomparable, from Old French [Term?], from Latin incomparābilis. Equivalent to in- +‎ comparable.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪŋˈkɒmp(ə)rəbəl/, /ɪŋkəmˈpærəbəl/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪŋˈkɑmp(ə)ɹəbəl/, /ɪŋkəmˈpɛɹəbəl/

incomparable (comparative more incomparable, superlative most incomparable)

1. 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.

2. (rare) Not able to be compared.

   Synonyms: noncomparable, uncomparable

   Antonym: comparable

• Using more or most with incomparable, though often disapproved, 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.

• priceless

incomparable (plural incomparables)

1. Something beyond compare; a thing with which there is no comparison.

• “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 Google Ngram Viewer

Borrowed from Latin incomparābilis.

• IPA^(key): (Central) [iŋ.kum.pəˈɾab.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [iŋ.kom.pəˈɾab.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [iŋ.kom.paˈɾa.ble]

incomparable m or f (masculine and feminine plural incomparables)

1. uncomparable, incomparable

   Antonym: comparable

• incomparablement

• “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.

From Latin incomparābilis.

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.kɔ̃.pa.ʁabl/

incomparable (plural incomparables)

1. incomparable; uncomparable

   Antonym: comparable

• incomparablement

• “incomparable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

From Latin incomparābilis.

incomparable m (feminine singular incomparabla, masculine plural incomparables, feminine plural incomparablas)

1. uncomparable, incomparable

   Antonym: comparable

• Joan de Cantalausa (2006) Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians‎, 2 edition, →ISBN, page 560.
• Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2024, page 338.

From Latin incomparābilis.

• IPA^(key): /inkompaˈɾable/ [ĩŋ.kõm.paˈɾa.β̞le]
• Rhymes: -able
• Syllabification: in‧com‧pa‧ra‧ble

incomparable m or f (masculine and feminine plural incomparables)

1. uncomparable

   Antonym: comparable

• “incomparable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014