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

A teenager already progressing through an English academy presents no equivalent immigration obstacle.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

The British insurer and asset manager reported an operating profit of 1.33 billion pounds, equivalent to $1.79 billion, for the first six months of the year compared with 1.07 billion pounds a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

As housing costs, especially “owner’s equivalent rent,” make up the largest component of the official inflation calculations, the two often march hand in hand.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

The 30-year Treasury yield rose 1.7 basis points to 5.228% while the 10-year equivalent rose 1.8 basis points to 4.659%, Tradeweb data showed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

To him a tie was equivalent to a loss, and he judged his position to be superior.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

The new European discovery is that once you step out of America’s first-tier cities, you find places that also are an order of magnitude “more so” than Europe’s equivalents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Blue Owl’s largest fund has $11.6 billion of cash, cash equivalents and borrowing capacity available, equivalent to 12 quarters of payouts at the 5% threshold, the firm said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

SpaceX raised $85.7 billion in its initial public offering this month, bringing its cash and cash equivalents to $100.8 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026

SpaceX noted alongside the bond announcement that as of June 19, it held approximately $100.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

During those war years I went to three different schools—a kindergarten and the equivalents of your junior and senior high school.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Related Words

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