compărātĭo

I. a comparing, comparison (in good prose).

I. In gen.: comparationis duo sunt modi; unus cum idemne sit an aliquid intersit quaeritur: alter, cum quid praestet aliud alii quaeritur, Cic. de Or. 3, 29, 117; cf. id. ib. § 116: potest incidere saepe contentio et comparatio, de duobus honestis utrum honestius, id. Off. 1, 43, 152: majorum, minorum, parium, id. Top. 18, 71: orationis suae cum scriptis alienis, id. de Or. 1, 60, 257: rerum, Quint. 2, 4, 24: argumentorum, id. 5, 13, 57: in comparatione alicujus (post-Aug.): strata erant itinera vilioribus sarcinis, quas in conparatione meliorum avaritia contempserat, Curt. 3, 11, 20 Vogel ad loc.; so, ex conparatione regis novi, desiderium excitabatur amissi, id. 10, 8, 9; cf. Lact. 7, 15, 7.—

II. Esp.

A. A trial of skill, contention: in comparationem se demittere, Suet. Rhet. 6.—

B. A relation, comparison: cum solis et lunae et quinque errantium ad eandem inter se comparationem est facta conversio, Cic. N. D. 2, 20, 51.—

C. Translation of the Gr. ἀναλογία, Cic. Univ. 4 fin.; 5; 7.—*

D. An agreement, contract (v. 1. comparo, II. B.): provincia sine sorte, sine comparatione, extra ordinem data, Liv. 6, 30, 3.—

E. Of animals, a coupling, pairing: boum, Col. 6, 2, 13.—

F. In rhet.: criminis, Cic. Inv. 1, 11, 15; 2, 24, 72; Auct. Her. 1, 14, 24; 1, 15, 25.—

G. In gram.

1. A climax, Don. p. 1745 P.—

2. The comparative degree, Quint. 1, 5, 45.