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.
Equally, it might reflect other cultural or dietary behaviors that leave similar marks.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
Equally, you might not have believed her for a second, and thought she was hamming up her pain because it's all gone wrong.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
"Equally, we have put in what's called a sub-air system. So that is effectively an aeration system that goes in underneath the surface to help with growing the pitch," Naqi said.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
Equally, our beliefs about the future prospects of employment and opportunity for college-educated workers are being upended by the potential impacts of AI.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Equally strange: The kid was wearing shorts and knee socks.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
