equivalent

American  

[ih-kwiv-uh-luhnt, ee-kwuh-vey-luhnt] / ɪˈkwɪv ə lənt, ˌi kwəˈveɪ lənt /

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.

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noun

1. something that is equivalent.

equivalent British  

/ 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

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noun

1. something that is equivalent

2. short for equivalent weight

equivalent Scientific  

/ ĭ-kwĭv′ə-lənt /

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.

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Related Words

See equal.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of equivalent

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

Explanation

If two things are basically the same, you can say that they're the equivalent of each other. Like, studying advanced physics is the equivalent of banging your head against the wall. Equivalent's Latin roots are "equal" and "value," which suggests that the word originally was used to describe things that had the same value. Now it can be used to describe things that have the same effect, or importance, or role — for example, "England's Parliament is the equivalent of America's Congress." It can also be used as an adjective: "Eating a bowl of Sugar Pops for breakfast is equivalent to starting your day with two scoops of ice-cream."

Example Sentences

Upstream production is expected between 1.62 million to 1.82 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, from 1.84 million barrels of oil equivalent a day over the first quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Twenty-three of the 38 analysts tracked by FactSet have the equivalent of a “Buy” rating on the stock, versus four who have a “Sell” rating, with an average target price of $239.27.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Roughly 100 million people, equivalent to more than 40% of adults, have medical debt totaling over $220 billion.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

An incredible 64 million cubic metres of rock – the equivalent of 24 Great Pyramids - splashed into the water below.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

This is the point at which this argument becomes interesting, for, as noted earlier, Quintilian does take signs to be equivalent to testimonies, and so does Parsons.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

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