equate
Americanverb (used with object)
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equates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
equated,
past participle, past
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equating
present participle
-
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
-
were equatingprogressive
-
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:
Record September exports of 3.49 million metric tons equate to roughly 42 million tons annually, well ahead of Onslow’s 35-million-ton nameplate capacity, says the bank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
When Coursen refers to the Social Security trust fund, he finds that many people equate it with a private trust fund.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
Kohler’s Integra, introduced as “the toilet of the future” at the Chicago fair, had a dramatic black finish made to equate sanitation with modern design.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
But having a companion who sees everything the same way we do does not necessarily equate to love.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
I knew it was an honest mistake for people to equate my career as a member of Team USA with Olympic stature.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
That equates to some 3.1 million oz of gold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
There were 34.5 million Americans living in poverty last year, which equates to just over 10% of the U.S. population.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
An $80,000 income from $1.8 million equates to a 4.44% withdrawal rate in the first year, while an initial 4% withdrawal, adjusted for inflation in subsequent years, would give you $72,000 in the first year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 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
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
"The choice for peace includes dialogue of course, but this is not surely equated with national interests for us," she said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
Testimony reopened scars of unnecessary episiotomies, which prosecution witness Mack equated to a perineal tear.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 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
Given nearly every household in America had a cable subscription during ESPN’s heyday, that equated to many billions of dollars in extremely high-margin revenue to Disney, delivered reliably and predictably every single year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 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
The couple pay an interest rate of 5.89%, fixed for five years, equating to monthly repayments of £1,400 - about the same as what they paid to rent a one-bed flat before.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
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
Roughly 450 bitcoins are newly minted a day, meaning that institutions are buying approximately 2,700 BTC a day, equating to $220 million-worth using today’s price of $81,543.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
