equal
Americanadjective
-
as great as; the same as (often followed by to orwith ).
The velocity of sound is not equal to that of light.
-
like or alike in quantity, degree, value, etc.; of the same rank, ability, merit, etc..
two students of equal brilliance.
- Synonyms:
- correspondent, coordinate, commensurate, proportionate
- Antonyms:
- different
-
evenly proportioned or balanced.
an equal contest.
-
uniform in operation or effect.
equal laws.
-
adequate or sufficient in quantity or degree.
The supply is equal to the demand.
-
having adequate ability, means, or other characteristics: Their English boots were not equal to the rigors of a Canadian winter.
He was equal to the task.
Their English boots were not equal to the rigors of a Canadian winter.
- Antonyms:
- inadequate
-
tranquil or undisturbed.
to confront death with an equal mind.
-
impartial or equitable.
-
Archaic. having an even surface; level.
the treeless, equal plains.
noun
-
equals
plural
verb (used with object)
-
equals,
present (3rd person singular)
-
equaled,
past participle, past
-
equalled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
equaling,
present participle
-
equalling
present participle (especially British)
-
to be or become equal to; meet or match.
So far the rate of production doesn't equal the demand.
If A equals B and B equals C, then A equals C.
-
to make or do something equal to.
No matter how he tries, he can't equal his brother's achievements.
-
Archaic. to make equal; equalize.
-
Obsolete. to recompense fully.
adjective
-
identical in size, quantity, degree, intensity, etc; the same (as)
-
having identical privileges, rights, status, etc
all men are equal before the law
-
having uniform effect or application
equal opportunities
-
evenly balanced or proportioned
the game was equal between the teams
-
(usually foll by to) having the necessary or adequate strength, ability, means, etc (for)
to be equal to one's work
-
another word for equivalent
noun
verb
-
(tr) to be equal to; correspond to; match
my offer equals his
-
to become equal or level
-
(tr) to make, perform, or do something equal to
to equal the world record
-
archaic (tr) to make equal
Usage
See unique.
The use of more equal as in from now on their relationship will be a more equal one is acceptable in modern English usage. Equally is preferred to equally as in sentences such as reassuring the victims is equally important. Just as is preferred to equally as in sentences such as their surprise was just as great as his
Synonym Usage
Equal, equivalent, tantamount imply a correspondence between two or more things. Equal indicates a correspondence in all respects or in a particular respect: A dime is equal to 10 cents (that is, in purchasing power). Equivalent indicates a correspondence in one or more respects, but not in all: An egg is said to be the equivalent of a pound of meat in nutritive value. Tantamount, a word of limited application, is used of immaterial things that are equivalent: The prisoner's refusal to answer was tantamount to an admission of guilt.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonequaladjective
-
quasi-equaladjective
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subequaladjective
-
equallyadverb
-
quasi-equallyadverb
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subequallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
equalsimple
-
equalssimple
-
have equaledperfect
-
have equalledperfect
-
has equaledperfect
-
has equalledperfect
-
am equalingprogressive
-
am equallingprogressive
-
are equalingprogressive
-
are equallingprogressive
-
is equalingprogressive
-
is equallingprogressive
-
have been equalingperfect progressive
-
have been equallingperfect progressive
-
has been equalingperfect progressive
-
has been equallingperfect progressive
Past
-
equaledsimple
-
equalledsimple
-
had equaledperfect
-
had equalledperfect
-
was equalingprogressive
-
was equallingprogressive
-
were equalingprogressive
-
were equallingprogressive
-
had been equalingperfect progressive
-
had been equallingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of equal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English adjective from Latin aequālis “equal, like,” equivalent to aequ(us) “even, plain, just” + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Things that are the same size or have the same traits are said to be equal. When it comes to people, being equal means everyone has the same rights and opportunities — and responsibilities. When two or more things are level or balanced, they are said to be equal. This balance can refer to volume, weight, or quantity, or any other trait being compared. In a contest in which each side has the same chance of winning, the match is said to be equal. And when a person is considered at the same level with another in some respect, he or she is said to be that person's equal.
Vocabulary lists containing equal
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
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Geometry - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This pattern could influence shopping decisions, habits, and recurring routines, especially when people continue choosing familiar options despite the availability of equal or better alternatives.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
Crossing the line in 44.17 seconds, the 31-year-old secured his eighth podium at the championships to equal French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre's men's record medal tally.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
That's equal to annual emissions of more than 46 million gasoline-powered cars.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
If SpaceX were to buy Tesla for $2 trillion, that would be equal to $506 a share at pre-deal share prices and shares outstanding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The real hero is Abraham Lincoln and the principles for which he lived—and died: freedom and equal rights for all Americans.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Amazingly, the result of this weak measurement of dwell time, when the photon goes straight through the cloud, exactly equals the negative time suggested by the photons’ average arrival time.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
Positioning himself as Rome’s first among equals, Augustus undertook pressing military reforms, cutting the number of legions in half while deploying them for expansion in all directions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Looked at another way, adjusting $100,000 in the late 1990s for inflation also equals roughly $210,000 today.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
“They were very much equals — my mother did help build that cabin. My mother was a teacher and an artist and really loved having children but was also a union rep at the school.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Five people in front, plus four on my right side, including me, plus six on my left equals fifteen.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
Folarin Balogun’s two goals in that game equaled another record from 1930, which was the last time a U.S. player had multiple goals in a World Cup game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
For the game, he missed 12 of 19 shots, four of six three-point attempts, had zero offensive rebounds and equaled a team-low with a minus-24 in 33 fewer minutes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026
Despite the worries and headlines about private credit, new money continued to flow into the private funds including the two Blue Owl private BDCs during the first quarter—and nearly equaled outflows in some cases.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
The court said the $16 billion award equaled about 45% of Argentina’s fiscal budget in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Conceivably, adenine equaled thymine because of a yet undiscovered role in the ordering of the bases.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
He equalled Cesar Rodriguez's 60-year-old record of 232 goals with his first, broke it with his second and extended the record with a third.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Messi equalled Telmo Zarra's 251-goal mark - set in 1955 by the Athletic Club forward - with a free-kick, before breaking it and stretching it with a third.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
His personal income equalled approximately £162,000 a year but he was only paying tax on about £13,000 and Bush transferred an average of £52,000 a year to his wife.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
He also equalled his personal best, which he set in winning gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, with the run at the Icahn Stadium in New York City.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The improvement I would have made in years of playing tennis in the ghetto would not have equalled the improvement I made in those eight weeks with the squad.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
It was the second time that Pegula has reached the quarterfinals of the British tournament, only to fall at that hurdle, equaling the progress she made at Wimbledon in 2023.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
The annual rate of inflation in May was 0.6%, the same as in April, equaling its highest level since December 2024, Swiss data agency FSO said Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
That goal was her 116th for the club, equaling Fran Kirby's record for the most goals for Chelsea in all competitions.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
Capital spending guidance for the five largest cloud companies is approximately $650 billion, equaling the spending by the rest of the Russell 3000 excluding utilities.
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
Pollard and Seabiscuit glided down the lane all by themselves, reaching the wire in track-record- equaling time.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Mbappe wants to break every record he can, but only if they serve the collective - it is no secret he is obsessed with equalling Pele's record of three World Cup triumphs.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Bank on those equalling 1% to 3% of your property’s value, or more.
From MarketWatch ● May 11, 2026
Under changes to the programme which came into force on Tuesday, customers collect points rather than reward coupons, with £1 spent equalling one point.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
They must beat bottom side Wolves on Saturday to avoid equalling the club's worst-ever winless league run - set some 91 years ago, between 1934 and 1935.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
She was a big woman, in stature almost equalling her husband, and corpulent besides: she showed virile force in the contest—more than once she almost throttled him, athletic as he was.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
