equivalent

American  

[ih-kwiv-uh-luhnt, ee-kwuh-vay-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

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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

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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

A few hours later, Russia said its equivalent app had also issued false alerts, with both countries claiming their systems had been hacked.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

The government at the time unveiled plans for nearly $1.2 trillion in investment, equivalent to more than two-thirds of South Korea's GDP.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

They place its original construction at a time equivalent to the Bronze Age of the remaining western Mediterranean.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

Final October manufacturing purchasing managers’ surveys for France, Germany and the eurozone will be released Monday, followed by the equivalent surveys for services activity on Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

He left Washington wearing the equivalent of a modern-day business suit, unsuitable for camping out.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

The order exempts stops at ports of entry, checkpoints and other functional equivalents of the border.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

So you’d be more or less treading water between your returns and inflation with your money stashed in cash equivalents.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

When you’re in your 70s, financial advisers generally recommend you have 30% to 50% of your portfolio in bonds or cash equivalents, and the rest in stocks.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

The company said that it had $112.4 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of June 30.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

He simply handed the matter to his superiors, who conferred with their equivalents at Deutsche Bank, and finally agreed to wire over $600 million.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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Related Words

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

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