equal

[ ee-kwuhl ]

/ ˈi kwəl /

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See synonyms for: equal / equaling / equalled / equalling on Thesaurus.com

adjective

as great as; the same as (often followed by to or with): 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.

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: He was equal to the task.Their English boots were not equal to the rigors of a Canadian winter.

tranquil or undisturbed: to confront death with an equal mind.

impartial or equitable.

Archaic. having an even surface; level: the treeless, equal plains.

noun

a person or thing that is equal to another, as in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability.

verb (used with object), e·qualed, e·qual·ing or (especially British) e·qualled, e·qual·ling.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR equal

2 proportionate, commensurate, coordinate, correspondent.

4 even, uniform, regular, invariant, unvarying.

6 suited, fitted.

10 coequal, peer, compeer, match, equivalent, fellow.

See synonyms for equal on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR equal

2 different.

6 inadequate.

See antonyms for equal on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of equal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English adjective from Latin aequālis “equal, like,” equivalent to aequ(us) “even, plain, just” + -ālis -al¹

synonym study for equal

2. 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.

usage note for equal

1-8. See unique.

OTHER WORDS FROM equal

non·e·qual, adjective, nounqua·si-e·qual, adjectivequa·si-e·qual·ly, adverbsub·e·qual, adjective

sub·e·qual·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use equal in a sentence

If the entries are, for example, from the real numbers, then we could ask for them to be close to the original entries, rather than being exactly equal to the original ones.
Searching Symbols for the Rules of Change|Rachel Crowell|November 17, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The playwright Shakespeare is equal to the running back Walter Payton.
Remembering Alex Trebek, The Man With All The Answers|Oliver Roeder|November 9, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The issue is that Google and other ad platforms treat all conversions as equal, a major flaw in the system.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is key to reducing digital ad waste|Jacob M. DelHagen|November 9, 2020|Search Engine Watch
In Arizona, state law requires a recount when the margin between the top two candidates is equal to or less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the total number of votes cast.
How recounts work in Georgia, Wisconsin and other key states|Brittany Shammas, Emma Brown, Jon Swaine|November 6, 2020|Washington Post

A roughly equal share of voters said yes to low-income housing, yes to increased development in Midway and yes to Mayor Gloria – and precinct-level analysis showed similar levels of support throughout the city.
San Diego Is a Big City – Todd Gloria Wants it to Act Like One|Andrew Keatts|November 6, 2020|Voice of San Diego
These schools became affiliated Universities, but never equalled the Law University in importance.
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume II of II)|Henry Osborn Taylor
The damage, all over the kingdom, was immense; and at no period of English history has it been equalled.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
Certainly Gurickx played magnificently, and with a brio I have rarely heard equalled.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
The menu was long, elaborate and imposing; equalled only by the toast list, which contained no less than sixteen separate toasts.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
The duty of this engine, in the month of April this year, equalled eighty-seven millions.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick

British Dictionary definitions for equal

equal

/ (ˈiːkwəl) /

adjective

(often foll by to or with) identical in size, quantity, degree, intensity, etc; the same (as)

having identical privileges, rights, status, etcall men are equal before the law

having uniform effect or applicationequal opportunities

evenly balanced or proportionedthe 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 (def. 3a)

noun

a person or thing equal to another, esp in merit, ability, etche has no equal when it comes to boxing

verb equals, equalling or equalled or US equals, equaling or equaled

(tr) to be equal to; correspond to; matchmy offer equals his

(intr usually foll by out) to become equal or level

(tr) to make, perform, or do something equal toto equal the world record

(tr) archaic to make equal

Derived forms of equal

equally, adverb

Word Origin for equal

C14: from Latin aequālis, from aequus level, of obscure origin

usage for equal

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with equal

equal

In addition to the idioms beginning with equal

equal to

also see:

other things being equal
separate but equal

equal

OTHER WORDS FOR equal

OPPOSITES FOR equal

Origin of equal

synonym study for equal

usage note for equal

OTHER WORDS FROM equal

Words related to equal

How to use equal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for equal

Derived forms of equal

Word Origin for equal

usage for equal

Other Idioms and Phrases with equal