equivalent

[ih-kwiv-uh-luhnt, ee-kwuh-vey-luhnt]

adjective

1. equal in value, measure, force, effect, significance, etc..

   His silence is equivalent to an admission of guilt.

2. corresponding in position, function, etc..

   In some ways their prime minister is equivalent to our president.

3. Geometry.,  having the same extent, as a triangle and a square of equal area.

4. Mathematics.,  (of two sets) able to be placed in one-to-one correspondence.

5. Chemistry.,  having the same capacity to combine or react chemically.

noun

1. something that is equivalent.

equivalent

/ ɪˈkwɪvələnt /

adjective

1. equal or interchangeable in value, quantity, significance, etc

2. having the same or a similar effect or meaning

3. maths

   1. having a particular property in common; equal

   2. (of two equations or inequalities) having the same set of solutions

   3. (of two sets) having the same cardinal number

4. maths logic (of two propositions) having an equivalence between them

noun

1. something that is equivalent

2. short for equivalent weight

equivalent

1. Equal, as in value, meaning, or force.

2. 1. Of or relating to a relation between two elements that is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive.

   2. Having a one-to-one correspondence, as between parts. Two triangles having the same area are equivalent, as are two congruent geometric figures.

Other Word Forms

• equivalently adverb
• nonequivalent adjective
• nonequivalently adverb
• quasi-equivalent adjective
• quasi-equivalently adverb
• superequivalent adjective
• unequivalent adjective
• unequivalently adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of equivalent¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin aequivalent- (stem of aequivalēns ), present participle of aequivalēre. See equi-, -valent

Word History and Origins

Origin of equivalent¹

C15: from Late Latin aequivalēns, from aequivalēre to be equally significant, from Latin aequi- _equi- + valēre to be worth

Synonym Study

See equal.

Example Sentences

In response, Berlin has eased its debt brake, allowing it to pour 500 billion euros, equivalent to around $580 billion, into a decadelong rearmament program.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

China Vanke, one of the few major real-estate companies not to default in the recent bust, is seeking to delay payment on a 2 billion yuan note, equivalent to around $282.5 million, due in December.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"It's the government IT project equivalent of ordering a renovation, discovering the contractor has made your house less functional, and then learning they charged you for a mansion."

Read more on BBC

Europe recently unveiled a rival, Jupiter, housed in western Germany, also able to perform at least one quintillion calculations per second, which is equivalent to about a million smartphones.

Read more on Barron's

These workers give up a portion of their salary in return for their employer paying the equivalent amount into their pension.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• commensurate 
• comparable 
• corresponding 
• equal 
• identical 
• proportionate 
• tantamount