equivalent

American  

[ih-kwiv-uh-luhnt, ee-kwuh-vey-luhnt] / ɪˈkwɪv ə lənt, ˌi kwəˈveɪ lənt /

adjective

1. 

   equal in value, measure, force, effect, significance, etc..

   His silence is equivalent to an admission of guilt.

2. corresponding in position, function, etc..

   In some ways their prime minister is equivalent to our president.

3. Geometry. having the same extent, as a triangle and a square of equal area.

4. Mathematics. (of two sets) able to be placed in one-to-one correspondence.

5. Chemistry. having the same capacity to combine or react chemically.

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noun

• equivalents
  plural

1. something that is equivalent.

equivalent British  

/ ɪˈkwɪvələnt /

adjective

1. equal or interchangeable in value, quantity, significance, etc

2. having the same or a similar effect or meaning

3. maths

   1. having a particular property in common; equal

   2. (of two equations or inequalities) having the same set of solutions

   3. (of two sets) having the same cardinal number

4. maths logic (of two propositions) having an equivalence between them

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noun

1. something that is equivalent

2. short for equivalent weight

equivalent Scientific  

/ ĭ-kwĭv′ə-lənt /

1. Equal, as in value, meaning, or force.

2. 1. Of or relating to a relation between two elements that is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive.

   2. Having a one-to-one correspondence, as between parts. Two triangles having the same area are equivalent, as are two congruent geometric figures.

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Synonym Usage

See equal.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonequivalent
  adjective
• quasi-equivalent
  adjective
• superequivalent
  adjective
• unequivalent
  adjective
• equivalently
  adverb
• nonequivalently
  adverb
• quasi-equivalently
  adverb
• unequivalently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• equivalents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of equivalent

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin aequivalent- (stem of aequivalēns ), present participle of aequivalēre. See equi-, -valent

Explanation

If two things are basically the same, you can say that they're the equivalent of each other. Like, studying advanced physics is the equivalent of banging your head against the wall. Equivalent's Latin roots are "equal" and "value," which suggests that the word originally was used to describe things that had the same value. Now it can be used to describe things that have the same effect, or importance, or role — for example, "England's Parliament is the equivalent of America's Congress." It can also be used as an adjective: "Eating a bowl of Sugar Pops for breakfast is equivalent to starting your day with two scoops of ice-cream."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

equivalent equivalents

"Overhead alternatives" would only be allowed "where installation is via low wooden poles or equivalent, less intrusive infrastructure".

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

In the second quarter, Saudi Aramco handed Riyadh the equivalent of $50 billion in royalties, dividends and income taxes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The most successful observers earn up to 10 million rupiah a month -- equivalent to about $570, several times an average farmworker's income.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

According to the AP, a former receptionist at the Hôtel de Pourtalès, where the fashion mogul was staying when she was robbed, was awarded the equivalent of $126,472 in the civil damages ruling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Puberty is the equivalent of guerrilla warfare on your body.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Store-brand equivalents for cold medications, like Nyquil, often placed next to the original, got good enough and similar enough that shoppers often didn’t even make a distinction between the two.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Yields on U.K. government bonds fell, tracking their U.S. equivalents, as market focus was on the U.S. inflation data due on Thursday and Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

GameStop said it has $5.4 billion in cash and equivalents at the end of the second quarter, down from $8.7 billion a year earlier, and some $300 million in digital assets and related receivables.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

After more than three months of burning that year, Indonesia's fires had emitted 1.75 billion tons of greenhouse gas equivalents -- more than Japan emits in an entire year.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

Mixed in with the applause, though, was a spattering of whistles and the stamping of feet, the European equivalents of catcalls and boos.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• commensurate
• comparable
• corresponding
• equal
• identical
• proportionate
• tantamount