Etymology
Origin of equally
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at equal, -ly
Explanation
Use the adverb equally to mean "the same way" or "in similar shares." Something that's divided equally is split evenly or fairly between people. Your mom might say that she loves you and your brother equally — in other words, her affection is fairly distributed between the two of you. If you are equally disturbed by total silence and loud noises, it means that both bother you, to the exact same degree. Equally comes from the adjective equal, with its Latin root word, aequalis, "level, even, or just."
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.
But instead of reacting that way, these investors on average remain equally optimistic as before.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
But an equally important part of the story is increasing net emigration by Britons.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
They're equally focused, meanwhile, on helping raise her children, now 17, 13 and 11.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Although I forfeited my membership in the Partnered People club, I became a member of another, equally nonexclusive-but-far-less-touted club, the Happily Divorced Women.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
As a dutiful aunt I tried to love all my nieces and nephews equally.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
