compare against

USAGE SUMMARY

"compare against" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you want to compare the qualities of two or more objects or people to one another. For example, "We should compare the strength of the two teams against each other to determine who will win the match."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Oh, I don't compare against Paul.

The Guardian - Music

They are not the appropriate model to compare against.

The Guardian

They pretty much all advertise "bank beating" rates, but how do they compare against one another?

The Guardian - Money

Ancient pollen, for example, was collected from the mud to compare against other climate indicators.

The New York Times - Science

But when you compare against the power of that Triple Crown attraction, you are sure to come up short".

The New York Times - Sports

Mr. Pataki's second bill would expand DNA sampling of convicted criminals, providing an ever-larger computer index of genetic profiles to compare against evidence collected at crime scenes.

The New York Times

The second method we compare against is (textit{zfp}) [4].

Data Science and Engineering

The SINR is used to compare against filtering techniques in Section 4.2, and the BER is used to compare against ECCs in Section 4.3.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

We compare against the baseline of dense trajectories with Fisher vectors (FV).

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

We thus elected to compare against a 'gold standard' technique using a 6-DOF Polhemus sensor.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

In practice, forensic scientists may only have one offender recording to compare against several suspect recordings.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "compare against", ensure you clearly define the criteria you are using for the comparison. This adds clarity and strengthens your argument.

Common error

Avoid using "compare against" when you actually mean to simply describe something without relating it to another item. "Compare against" always implies a relationship or assessment relative to something else.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "compare against" functions as a phrasal verb used to describe the action of evaluating something by contrasting it with something else. Ludwig AI confirms this usage, providing examples across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrasal verb "compare against" is a grammatically correct and very common way to express the act of evaluating something in relation to something else. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is widely used across diverse fields like science, news, and business. When writing with "compare against", it's important to define the evaluation criteria clearly. While it maintains a generally neutral tone, context dictates its specific register. Related phrases such as "measure up against" and "contrast with" can be useful alternatives depending on the intended nuance. Be aware of accidentally using the phrase when you actually mean to simply describe something without relating it to another item.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

measure up against

Implies assessing something against a standard to see how well it meets the criteria.

contrast with

Focuses on highlighting the differences between two or more items.

evaluate in relation to

Suggests a formal assessment considering the context and connections.

weigh up against

Indicates a careful consideration of the pros and cons in comparison.

check against

Implies verifying something against a known standard or reference.

benchmark against

Suggests comparing performance or quality against an industry standard.

match up to

Focuses on whether something meets or equals a certain level or expectation.

set side by side with

Emphasizes placing items next to each other for a direct comparison.

draw a parallel with

Highlights similarities between two distinct things.

juxtapose with

Suggests placing two things together, often to create a contrasting effect.

FAQs

How can I use "compare against" in a sentence?

You can use "compare against" to show how one thing measures up to another. For example, "We need to "benchmark against" industry standards to improve our performance."

What's a good substitute for "compare against"?

Alternatives include "measure up against", "contrast with", or "evaluate in relation to", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it more formal to use "compare against" or another phrase?

The formality depends on the context. "Evaluate in relation to" may sound more formal in some situations, while "compare against" is generally acceptable in most contexts.

How does "compare against" differ from "compare to"?

"Compare to" often suggests pointing out similarities, while "compare against" usually implies assessing the merits or performance relative to a standard or another item. You "set side by side with" different characteristics with "compare against".