a legitimate comparison

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a legitimate comparison" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing the validity or appropriateness of comparing two or more things. Example: "When evaluating the two products, it's important to make a legitimate comparison based on their features and performance."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

But that is not a legitimate comparison.

The New York Times

And today with the size of everything ballooning out of control, there is nothing for us to make a legitimate comparison to.

The Washington Post

It's a legitimate comparison.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

First of all, note that in the Krueger chart, the US scores among the highest on the combination of the two variables, but that's because that sample is limited to only "advanced" economies -- a legitimate comparison, by the way, as these economies are the most similar.

Huffington Post

And, over time, with each successive level of government becoming a part of this architecture, legitimate comparison will be made on the correct investment of resources and the results being delivered (something that currently is awkwardly measured, if at all).

Huffington Post

Limbaugh has always referred to himself as "an entertainer," but there is also no legitimate comparison between Limbaugh and such entertainers as St . LouisCardinals legend Stan "The Man" Musial and Walt Disney, both of whom are in the Hall.

Huffington Post

We have compared our SAGE data with those from microarray-based experiments in a limited way where only data from one tissue, the leaf, were eligible for legitimate comparison, since the mRNA sample was harvested from leaves at the milking stage, identical to what we used for the SAGE experiment.

BMC Plant Biology

The only legitimate comparison is between "primitive" in the technical sense, meaning more like the last common ancestor (also called "ancestral"), versus "derived" (i.e., different from the ancestor).

Evolution: Education and Outreach

This method allows us to make legitimate comparison of activity rates between experimental groups in the DG, but, as pointed out by the reviewers, the comparison of the reactivation rates to the corresponding activation rates may be affected.

eLife

Subsets of complete data were used in the examination of the effect of socio-economic factors on each separate type of hazardous drinking behaviour, in order to facilitate legitimate comparison of effects.

Addiction

It required a confluence of events: a president without credibility, an opposing party with a mortally wounded brand, an unpopular war, a series of headline-grabbing corruption scandals, and, lest we forget, an economic collapse so serious that legitimate comparisons of Republicans to Hoover, and of the crisis to the Great Depression, are made daily in national media.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a legitimate comparison" when you want to emphasize that a comparison is fair, valid, and based on sound reasoning. It implies that the basis for comparison is well-justified and not misleading.

Common error

Avoid using "a legitimate comparison" simply to sound authoritative. Ensure the comparison truly meets the criteria of fairness, relevance, and logical soundness. Otherwise, consider using a more neutral term like "a comparison".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a legitimate comparison" functions as a noun phrase, where "legitimate" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "comparison". According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a legitimate comparison" is a valid and useful phrase for emphasizing the fairness and logical soundness of a comparison. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. While not exceedingly common, it appears in various contexts, especially in news, science, and academic writing. To ensure proper usage, avoid overusing the term without true justification and consider using alternatives like ""a valid comparison"" or ""an appropriate comparison"" to fine-tune the intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a valid comparison

Replaces "legitimate" with "valid", emphasizing the factual or logical correctness of the comparison.

a reasonable comparison

Substitutes "legitimate" with "reasonable", highlighting the justification and fairness of the comparison.

an appropriate comparison

Uses "appropriate" instead of "legitimate", focusing on the suitability and relevance of the comparison in a given context.

a justifiable comparison

Emphasizes that the comparison is defensible and has a solid basis.

a sound comparison

Indicates that the comparison is well-founded and logically coherent.

a fair comparison

Stresses the impartiality and evenhandedness of the comparison.

a well-founded comparison

Highlights that the comparison is based on solid evidence and reasoning.

a defensible comparison

Suggests that the comparison can be supported against criticism or challenge.

a relevant comparison

Focuses on how closely the things being compared are related to the matter at hand.

a credible comparison

Highlights the believability and trustworthiness of the comparison.

FAQs

How can I use "a legitimate comparison" in a sentence?

Use "a legitimate comparison" to highlight that a comparison is valid and well-founded, such as, "When evaluating different investment opportunities, it's crucial to make "a legitimate comparison" based on risk and return."

What are some alternatives to "a legitimate comparison"?

You can use alternatives like "a valid comparison", "a reasonable comparison", or "an appropriate comparison" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What makes a comparison "legitimate"?

A comparison is considered "legitimate" when it is based on fair, relevant, and logically sound criteria. It implies that the comparison is not misleading or biased and that the basis for comparison is well-justified.

Is there a difference between "a legitimate comparison" and "a fair comparison"?

While both terms emphasize the validity of a comparison, "a legitimate comparison" focuses more on the logical and well-founded nature of the comparison, whereas "a fair comparison" emphasizes the impartiality and evenhandedness of the comparison.