equalize

American  

[ee-kwuh-lahyz] / ˈi kwəˌlaɪz /

especially British, equalise

verb (used with object)

• equalizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• equalized,
  past participle,  past
• equalizing
  present participle

1. to make equal.

   to equalize tax burdens.

2. to make uniform.

   to equalize a rate of production.

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equalize British  

/ ˈiːkwəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to make equal or uniform; regularize

2. (intr) (in sports) to reach the same score as one's opponent or opponents

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• equalization
  noun
• nonequalization
  noun
• unequalize
  verb (used with object)
• nonequalized
  adjective
• nonequalizing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• equalizing
  present
• equalized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• equalize
  simple
• equalizes
  simple
• have equalized
  perfect
• has equalized
  perfect
• am equalizing
  progressive
• are equalizing
  progressive
• is equalizing
  progressive
• have been equalizing
  perfect progressive
• has been equalizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• equalized
  simple
• had equalized
  perfect
• was equalizing
  progressive
• were equalizing
  progressive
• had been equalizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will equalize
  simple
• will have equalized
  perfect
• will be equalizing
  progressive
• will have been equalizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of equalize

First recorded in 1580–90; equal + -ize

Explanation

To equalize is to make sure something is shared evenly or uniformly. You might try to equalize how much cake each party guest gets by slicing it into identical pieces. When you equalize, you're attempting to make things equal, a word with a Latin root that means "even, fair, or equitable." This can be done on a small scale, like when parents feel they have to buy an additional gift for one of their children in order to equalize everyone's Christmas presents. It's also done on a larger scale, with whole industries pushed to equalize pay for workers or cities to equalize educational opportunities for kids.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

equalize equalizes equalized equalizing

To equalize your grandchildren’s inheritance later, you can adjust the distribution in your will or trust, reducing their shares by the amount you have already given each of them.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 31, 2025

Markkanen's free throw with 19 seconds remaining in regulation set up the first overtime at 127-127 and Chicago's Coby White sank a layup with 0.2 of seconds remaining to equalize at 136-136.

From Barron's ● Nov. 17, 2025

At six months of age, the number of nanotubes in normal mice and those with Alzheimer's disease began to equalize.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2025

Mike Huckabee, for goodness sake, was the governor who signed off on hundreds of millions of dollars of new annual funding to help equalize funding in Arkansas.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2025

Sensing the drop in pressure, it constantly flooded itself with air from my nitrogen tank to equalize.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Isotonic cells have an equal concentration of solutes inside and outside the cell; this equalizes the osmotic pressure on either side of the cell membrane which is a semi-permeable membrane.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

“This rule, at least to a certain degree, equalizes the workforce that way,’’ says Amanda Sonneborn, an employment lawyer at King & Spalding.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 5, 2021

The first equalizes the bad luck we’re born with; the second, the bad luck that finds us as adults.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 6, 2020

Fresh flour is considered “unstable,” Hutchison explained, and oxidation equalizes it and makes it more stable and consistent.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 10, 2016

It's nothing more than a tube that equalizes the rover's air with the pop-tent's.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Paraguay opened the scoring in the 42nd minute through Julio Enciso, before Germany equalized in the second half with a header by Kai Havertz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Unfortunately for the South African team that night, Rafa Márquez equalized for El Tri with 11 minutes remaining during what turned out to be a disappointing World Cup for the host nation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

With 11 minutes of regulation remaining, Bosnia and Herzegovina equalized to force extra time, then penalties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

Atlanta's Tyler Allgeier scored on a two-yard run only 2:45 into the game but Buffalo equalized just 4:14 later on Allen's 19-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025

I told her of our desire to have the food improved and equalized and to have better clothing; the need for facilities for studying; our right to information such as newspapers; and many more things.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

“A life-insurance policy can be specifically purchased to provide a cash payout to the non-business child, effectively equalizing their inheritance without burdening the business or the child taking it over,” it says.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 6, 2026

Whether or not Altman is a true believer in A.I.’s equalizing powers, he’s talking his book.

From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2026

Rather, his numerous public appearances in the past few months have been filled with talk about the potential for AI to be more of an equalizing force for technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 18, 2026

It is also, in some ways, an equalizing force.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2025

“My thought was that if you know how to keep tissue alive there must be some way of equalizing the reserve supply to the area of the throat and face.”

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

• adjust
• even up