equate
Americanverb (used with object)
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equates,
present (3rd person singular)
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equated,
past participle, past
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equating
present participle
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to regard, treat, or represent as equivalent.
We cannot equate the possession of wealth with goodness.
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to state the equality of or between; put in the form of an equation.
to equate growing prosperity with the physical health of a nation.
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to reduce to an average; make such correction or allowance in as will reduce to a common standard of comparison.
verb
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to make or regard as equivalent or similar, esp in order to compare or balance
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maths to indicate the equality of; form an equation from
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(intr) to be equal; correspond
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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equatesimple
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equatessimple
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have equatedperfect
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has equatedperfect
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am equatingprogressive
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are equatingprogressive
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is equatingprogressive
-
have been equatingperfect progressive
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has been equatingperfect progressive
Past
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equatedsimple
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had equatedperfect
-
was equatingprogressive
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were equatingprogressive
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had been equatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of equate
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin aequātus (past participle of aequāre to make equal), equivalent to aequ ( us ) equal + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
When you equate one thing with another, you say that they are both the same. You might equate indulging in a hot fudge sundae with giving up on your body entirely, but I would disagree. To equate means to make things equal, and it’s a useful word because this is something people do all the time. They equate strong political views with fascism, they equate having lots of money with good taste, and they equate popularity with goodness. Remember, though, that just because you equate one thing with another does not mean that they really are the same! As you have no doubt noticed, equate has the Latin root equ that means "equal, level," so look there if you need a reminder as to its meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing equate
Far from the Tree
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Carl Reiner (1922–2020) Tribute List
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"CLEP Financial Accounting," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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.
See Examples For:
This would equate to up to half a month's rainfall in just 24 hours.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
But having a companion who sees everything the same way we do does not necessarily equate to love.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
Now that a mistrial has been declared, that does not equate to an acquittal.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
“We don’t want to be in a position where we sell something that doesn’t equate to the experience that someone is expecting to have.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
In defending these new standards, David Coleman, president of the College Board and one of the architects of the Common Core, seemed to equate reading and writing that is not purely fact-based with self-indulgence.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Canada has said that its deal with China equates to less than 3% of the country’s current new-car sales and that it expects the deal to catalyze new Chinese joint-venture investments there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Constellation’s stock is rising sharply following a deal that equates to as much power as would be supplied by a new nuclear reactor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Morgan Stanley analyst Stephen Byrd wrote in a Monday note that he expects a U.S. power shortfall of 33 gigawatts, which equates to 34% of chip demand, through 2028.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
That equates to more than a fifth of the country's proven oil reserves.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
All of which brings us to the key point: the ancients, particularly in the classical period, had no notion that equates exactly with our modern conception of “science.”
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
Testimony reopened scars of unnecessary episiotomies, which prosecution witness Mack equated to a perineal tear.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
The mistake, he thinks, is that AI companies have equated writing with tedium.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
The sweeping majority of American nonprofits operate with annual budgets under $1 million; the value they got from Microsoft’s free business software equated to about 30 percent of their IT spend, he told me.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
Kometer said it should be a tarmac rally stage while professional stunt driver and Long Beach local Sarah Fairfield, who piloted the second ’26 MX-5 on this trip, equated it to a roller coaster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Not so for a coordination, which is headless: it cannot be equated with any of its components.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Awards voters typically don’t appreciate nuanced acting, too often equating “best” with “most.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Adults across the UK spend more than £111 per month on dates and dating apps, equating to more than £1,300 per year, according to research from Barclays in 2025,
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
The latest official figures show more than one million young people are Neet - the highest level in more than 12 years and equating to roughly one in eight young people.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
Traders who bet on stock-price declines worry that prosecutors are equating their tactics with market manipulation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
The pastor started off talking about the importance of Juneteenth, equating the plight of black slaves to the Israelites in ancient Egypt.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
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.
