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 American great lost in the doubles with elder sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open on Monday in her first match since injuring her knee at Wimbledon.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Anthropic, maker of the Claude AI models, "expects to match or beat the size" of SpaceX's deal, according to Bloomberg.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Instead of the smaller pot's smooth surface, the larger vessel was rough, and its material does not appear to match established local pottery traditions.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

This includes direct matchups against those contemporaries, 288 wins, some very impressive postseason wins and stats, and including shutouts that match those of other pitchers of his time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

“You’re moving your arms too fast. Try to match my rhythm. Reach farther and pull longer!”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Alcaraz should make those influencer selfies slightly more worthwhile, even if a three-figure grounds pass won’t get you near his matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

"If you lose 17 Test matches in the last 20 you've played nobody's going to back this team."

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Due to technical and other issues, VAR is not used in the first round of German Cup matches.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

This matches the conventional picture of how many electronic phase transitions take place.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

She gathered up the matches before they could blow away, and stored Mother’s picture in the pot.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

The report says the Census Bureau matched the Data-Clear voter files with federal immigration records to determine if people were citizens and eligible to vote.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

Tests are also matched to the individual’s age and particular health challenge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

James Lowe’s brash conducting matched the production’s onslaught.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

The researchers used several methods to test whether the Saguaro's compact red center truly matched the defining characteristics of a typical LRD.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

On her torso, there was a white skull that matched the Marvel Punisher icon on the cover.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

For Michael Morley, director of the Florida State University Election Law Center, there are several possible sources of error when matching datasets.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

At that time, charitable giving was trendy in the tech sector, with brands like Microsoft boasting of their employees’ multimillion-dollar donations—complete with matching funds—and the companies’ own philanthropic efforts.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

Naturalization ceremonies happen all the time, and records can become outdated, which is why database matching always needs to be followed up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Another change coming to Bumble will extend the time-limit users have to initiate a conversation after matching.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

She wrapped herself in a matching towel and settled into the chair next to mine.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

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