equalize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make equal.
to equalize tax burdens.
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to make uniform.
to equalize a rate of production.
verb
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(tr) to make equal or uniform; regularize
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(intr) (in sports) to reach the same score as one's opponent or opponents
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of equalize
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.
Vocabulary lists containing equalize
Scrabble: High Scoring Words
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A Soccer and a Football Special
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20 Common Words That Will Boost Your Scrabble Score
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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.
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
To equalize its share with the US dollar, gold prices would need to rise to $5,790 per ounce, assuming no change in gold holdings.
From Barron's • Oct. 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
The first few years of elementary school, Pavri said, present a real opportunity to equalize learning for young children.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2024
Sensing the drop in pressure, it constantly flooded itself with air from my nitrogen tank to equalize.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
