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.
She was equally struck by another small detail: handwritten notes left by staff alongside the books.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Paying down borrowings is an equally valid route to enhancing owners’ wealth, though.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
In that picture, a proton has a baryon number of plus one, divided equally among its three main valence quarks.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Peaches are particularly lovely here, though I’ve made the same syrup with blackberries to equally good effect.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Fischer’s and Bronstein’s places at the table were indicated by a small American flag on Bobby’s side and an equally small Soviet flag on the opposite side.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
