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:
But as state "bodegas" disappear, the "libreta" ration book that symbolized equal access to affordable food for all is being quietly shelved.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
“They equal only 1% of our U.S. workforce. They are not new arrivals to our country,” the company said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Deduct “offsetting receipts,” such as Medicare premiums, equal to 1.2% of GDP, and the net figure for federal spending on these five programs comes to 15.2% of GDP.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Harry Kane is England's greatest goalscorer and is will equal Peter Shilton's record of 125 caps if he features against the Czech Republic at Wembley.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Callaway sat side by side with the techs and the cook as their equal and friend.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Together, that return equals the 6.6% the market requires.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
A looming ice shelf in the background is surrounded by phrases including, “A Man. A Plan. A Meltdown,” and “Comedy equals tragedy plus time.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Six successive home defeats in the league equals a grim club record dating back to 1920.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
"It's not as straightforward as 'high temperature equals collapse,'" Kristen Cook, a geomorphologist at the Grenoble Alpes University in France, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
My mom isn’t always the best at picking up on my subtleties, but she knows that “mother” equals annoyed.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
The latter equaled about 8% of revenue in the most recent quarter.
From Barron's ● May 28, 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
Its combined output with Venezuela equaled Saudi output.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Bridgeman equaled the event’s 54-hole record of 194 held by Joaquin Niemann, who was also 19 under through three rounds in 2022.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2026
Thirty-eight beats times four equaled 152 beats per minute.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
There were 112 deaths of care leavers aged 18 to 24 notified in 2025, which the review said equalled about 130 deaths per 100,000 care leavers.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Following her 200m bronze on Thursday, Asher-Smith also equalled Polish sprinter Irena Szewinska's overall record tally of 10 medals at the championships.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 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
The UK has had seven days with temperatures over 35C so far this year, beating the previous record of five set in 1976 and equalled in 2020.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 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
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
The NYSE’s Advance-Decline Line is still 1,018 net advances away from equaling its own all-time high.
From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026
With 41 points, nine rebounds and six assists against Milwaukee, Doncic collected his fourth 40-point games this season, equaling his total for such games all of last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2025
He called over a member of the Sandrouni family, who quoted something equaling about sixty-five American dollars.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
With Wade four short of equalling Ashton's 101 tally and five tries away from breaking it, the current record holder can feel him coming.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
And he is now just two appearances away from equalling Peter Shilton's mark of 125 international appearances as he hones in on becoming England's most capped player ever.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
On September 2, the southwestern municipality of El Granado reached 45.7C, equalling the temperature record for the month and marking the highest temperature in Spain this year.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
Since the start of the 2024-25 season, his five Premier League goals there are the joint most by any player at an away ground, equalling Erling Haaland's haul against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 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.
