match

¹ American  

[mach] / mætʃ /

noun

1. a slender piece of wood, cardboard, or other flammable material tipped with a chemical substance that produces fire when rubbed on a rough or chemically prepared surface.

2. a wick, cord, or the like, prepared to burn at an even rate, used to fire cannon, gunpowder, etc.

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match ² American  

[mach] / mætʃ /

noun

1. a person or thing that equals or resembles another in some respect.

   Synonyms:

   replica, facsimile, duplicate, copy, clone, carbon copy, twin, spit and image, picture, look-alike, likeness, image, double, doppelgänger, dead ringer

2. a person or thing able to cope with another as an equal.

   to meet one's match.

   Synonyms:

   rival, peer, parallel, like, equivalent, equal, counterpart, coequal

3. a person or thing that is an exact counterpart of another.

   Synonyms:

   mate, half, fellow, companion

4. a corresponding, suitably associated, or harmonious pair.

   The blue hat and green scarf were not a good match.

5. Sports.

   1. a game or contest in which two or more contestants or teams oppose each other.

      a soccer match.

   2. a contest consisting of a specific number of sets.

      a tennis match.

   Synonyms:

   contest, competition, bout, game

6. any contest or competition that resembles a sports match.

   a shouting match.

7. a person considered with regard to suitability as a partner in marriage.

   a good match.

8. a matrimonial union; marriage.

   Neither family approved of the match.

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verb (used with object)

• matches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• matched,
  past participle,  past
• matching
  present participle

1. to equal; be equal to.

   My talent does not match his.

2. to be the match or counterpart of; harmonize with.

   The skirt matches the jacket perfectly.

3. to cause to correspond; adapt.

   to match one's actions to one's beliefs.

4. to fit together, as two things.

   to match the pieces of a puzzle.

5. to fit (boards) together, side by side or end to end, with a tongue-and-groove or rabbeted joint.

6. to procure or produce an equal to.

   Try though we did, we could not match our first success.

7. to place in opposition or conflict.

   I matched my wits against his strength.

8. to provide with an adversary or competitor of equal power.

   The teams were well matched.

9. to encounter as an adversary with equal power.

10. to prove a match for.

11. to unite in marriage; procure a matrimonial alliance for.

12. to toss (coins) into the air and then compare the matching or contrasting sides that land facing up, as for determining the winner of a bet.

13. to match coins with.

verb (used without object)

• matches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• matched,
  past participle,  past
• matching
  present participle

1. to be equal or suitable.

   Our talents match.

2. to correspond; be of corresponding size, shape, color, pattern, etc..

   These gloves do not match.

3. Archaic. to ally oneself in marriage.

match ¹ British  

/ mætʃ /

noun

1. a formal game or sports event in which people, teams, etc, compete to win

2. a person or thing able to provide competition for another

   she's met her match in talking ability

3. a person or thing that resembles, harmonizes with, or is equivalent to another in a specified respect

   that coat is a good match for your hat

4. a person or thing that is an exact copy or equal of another

5. 1. a partnership between a man and a woman, as in marriage

   2. an arrangement for such a partnership

6. a person regarded as a possible partner, as in marriage

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verb

1. to fit (parts) together

   to match the tongue and groove of boards

2. to resemble, harmonize with, correspond to, or equal (one another or something else)

   the skirt matches your shoes well

3. to compare in order to determine which is the superior

   they matched wits

4. to adapt so as to correspond with

   to match hope with reality

5. to arrange a competition between

6. to find a match for

7. electronics to connect (two circuits) so that their impedances are equal or are equalized by a coupling device, to produce a maximum transfer of energy

match ² British  

/ mætʃ /

noun

1. a thin strip of wood or cardboard tipped with a chemical that ignites by friction when rubbed on a rough surface or a surface coated with a suitable chemical See safety match

2. a length of cord or wick impregnated with a chemical so that it burns slowly. It is used to fire cannons, explosives, etc

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match Idioms  

1. see meet one's match; mix and match; whole ball of wax (shooting match).

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• matcher
  noun
• matchable
  adjective
• matching
  adjective
• unmatchable
  adjective
• unmatched
  adjective
• unmatching
  adjective
• well-matched
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• matching
  present
• matched
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• match
  simple
• matches
  simple
• have matched
  perfect
• has matched
  perfect
• am matching
  progressive
• are matching
  progressive
• is matching
  progressive
• have been matching
  perfect progressive
• has been matching
  perfect progressive

Past

• matched
  simple
• had matched
  perfect
• was matching
  progressive
• were matching
  progressive
• had been matching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will match
  simple
• will have matched
  perfect
• will be matching
  progressive
• will have been matching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of match¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English meccche, macche “wick,” from Middle French meiche, Old French me(s)che, from unattested Vulgar Latin mesca “lamp wick,” variant of Latin myxa, from Greek mýxa “mucus, nostril, nozzle of a lamp”

Origin of match²

First recorded before 900; Middle English ma(c)che, me(c)che “husband, wife, mate, equal,” Old English gemæcca, gemecca “mate, fellow, consort”

Explanation

A match is a competition or game, like a soccer match. Another type of match places people together instead of opposing one another. Perhaps you'll find your perfect match on an online dating web site. You might cheer at a boxing match or challenge your friend to a tennis match. Another kind of match is a pair of things that go together or are equal: "His zombie costume was a perfect match with his best friend's." There's also the match you strike to start a fire: "She lit the candle with a match." This match has a Greek root meaning "lamp wick," while other matches come from the Proto-Germanic gamakon, "fitting together."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

match matches matched matching

The sales estimates are for calendar years, adjusted by FactSet for companies whose fiscal reporting periods don’t match the calendar.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

A member of our team worked with a cross-functional partner on building a contract review tool that makes sure customer order forms exactly match with Salesforce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Asia struggled to match the positive energy on Wall Street, where the Dow and S&P 500 also ended higher.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

The first match of the multi-format women's Ashes series is the sole Test at Headingley in June – the only Test, men's or women's, staged north of Nottingham next summer.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The door looks like it had once been painted a bright orange, only for the color to fade over the years into a weak brown that doesn’t match the rest of the cabin.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Hall stepped in for three matches after Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly, first choice at the World Cup and for the opening game against Spain, returned to his club with an injury.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Newcastle United's Lewis Hall emerged as one of the big winners from England's opening round of Nations League matches, making a strong case to become Tuchel's long-term left-back.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Started all four of England's matches during the extended international break.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

In 2023, England played Australia A and Australia played England A as Test warm-up matches and that arrangement could be replicated in 2027.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

“But those things, the window and the matches, those are decoys.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

“Because the results on the pitch haven’t always matched the ambitions of the supporters.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

The chemistry matched, showing that the vessels had been produced locally.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

He wrote: "Jeffrey Archer was a dear friend and an extraordinary human being. His gift for storytelling was matched by his wit, warmth and boundless energy. Life was never dull in Jeffrey's company."

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

With a 3-0 record, they’re one of five undefeated teams and have already matched their win total from last season.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

But he had him a new shirt with buttons that matched, and it didn’t look handed down.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

With thousands of DNA profiles to process, fragmented remains and limited technical capacity and manpower, experts warn matching bodies to families could take weeks.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Earlier this week, officials said they’d detected 69 rabid bats, matching last year’s record.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Previously, a customer buying a belt buckle was nudged toward a matching belt or hat, items that closely related to the original purchase, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

If your things are part of your extended self, as you change, they may eventually stop matching up.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

The walls were covered with pictures of smiling students in blue-and-yellow blazers with matching boater hats.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• bout
• contest
• event
• game
• race
• test
• trial