equal


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to equal: equal sets

e·qual

 (ē′kwəl)
adj.
1. Having the same quantity, measure, or value as another.
2. Mathematics Being the same or identical to in value.
3.
a. Having the same privileges, status, or rights: citizens equal before the law.
b. Being the same for all members of a group: gave every player an equal chance to win.
4.
a. Having the requisite qualities, such as strength or ability, for a task or situation: "Elizabeth found herself quite equal to the scene" (Jane Austen).
b. Similar to or the same as another, as in ability: As the playoffs began, the teams were considered roughly equal.
n.
One that is equal to another: These two models are equals in computing power.
tr.v. e·qualed, e·qual·ing, e·quals or e·qualled or e·qual·ling
1. To be equal to, especially in value.
2. To do, make, or produce something equal to: equaled the world record in the mile run.

[Middle English, from Latin aequālis, from aequus, even, level.]

e′qual·ly adv.
Usage Note: It has been argued that equal is an absolute term—two quantities either are or are not equal—and hence cannot be qualified as to degree. Therefore one cannot logically speak of a more equal allocation of resources among the departments. But this usage is fairly common, and was acceptable to 71 percent of the Usage Panel as far back as 1967. Objections to the more equal construction assume that the mathematical notion of equality is appropriate to the description of a world where the equality of two quantities is often an approximate matter, and where statements of equality are always relative to an implicit standard of tolerance. In The two boards are of equal length, we assume that the equality is reckoned to some order of approximation determined by the context; if we did not, we would be required always to use nearly equal when speaking of the dimensions of physical objects. What is more, we often speak of the equality of things that cannot be measured quantitatively, as in The college draft was introduced in an effort to make the teams in the National Football League as equal as possible, or The candidates for the job should all be given equal consideration. In such cases, equality is naturally a gradient notion and can be modified in degree. This much is evident from the existence of the word unequal, for the prefix un- attaches only to gradient adjectives. We say unmanly but not unmale; and the word uneven can be applied to a surface (whose evenness may be a matter of degree) but not to a number (whose evenness is an either/or affair). · The adverb equally is often regarded as redundant when used in combination with as, as in Experience is equally as valuable as theory or Aptitude is essential; but equally as important is the desire to learn. In our 2015 ballot, the example sentences above were deemed unacceptable by 64 percent and 53 percent of the Usage Panel respectively. Even among those Panelists who rated the sentences as acceptable, there were several who commented that it would be preferable to avoid the redundancy for stylistic reasons. Fortunately, one can easily streamline sentences such as these, as by deleting equally from the first example and as from the second. See Usage Notes at absolute, as1, center, perfect, unique.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

equal

(ˈiːkwəl)
adj
1. (often foll by: to or with) identical in size, quantity, degree, intensity, etc; the same (as)
2. having identical privileges, rights, status, etc: all men are equal before the law.
3. having uniform effect or application: equal opportunities.
4. evenly balanced or proportioned: the game was equal between the teams.
5. (usually foll by to) having the necessary or adequate strength, ability, means, etc (for): to be equal to one's work.
6. (Mathematics) another word for equivalent3a
n
a person or thing equal to another, esp in merit, ability, etc: he has no equal when it comes to boxing.
vb, equals, equalling or equalled, equals, equaling or equaled
7. (tr) to be equal to; correspond to; match: my offer equals his.
8. (usually foll by: out) to become equal or level
9. (tr) to make, perform, or do something equal to: to equal the world record.
10. (tr) archaic to make equal
[C14: from Latin aequālis, from aequus level, of obscure origin]
ˈequally adv
Usage: The use of more equal as in from now on their relationship will be a more equal one is acceptable in modern English usage. Equally is preferred to equally as in sentences such as reassuring the victims is equally important. Just as is preferred to equally as in sentences such as their surprise was just as great as his
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

e•qual

(ˈi kwəl)

adj., n., v. e•qualed, e•qual•ing (esp. Brit.) e•qualled, e•qual•ling. adj.
1. as great as; the same as (often fol. by to or with).
2. like or alike in quantity, degree, value, etc.
3. of the same rank, ability, merit, etc.: two students of equal brilliance.
4. evenly proportioned or balanced: an equal contest.
5. uniform in operation or effect: equal laws.
6. adequate or sufficient in quantity or degree.
7. having adequate ability or means; suited: I felt equal to the task.
8. level, as a plain.
9. tranquil or undisturbed.
10. impartial or equitable.
n.
11. a person or thing that is equal.
v.t.
12. to be or become equal to; meet or match, as in value.
13. to make or do something equal to: to equal someone else's achievements.
14. Archaic. to make equal; equalize.
15. Obs. to recompense fully.
[1350–1400; < Latin aequālis equal, like]
usage: See unique.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

equal


Past participle: equalled
Gerund: equalling

Imperative
equal
equal
Present
I equal
you equal
he/she/it equals
we equal
you equal
they equal
Preterite
I equalled
you equalled
he/she/it equalled
we equalled
you equalled
they equalled
Present Continuous
I am equalling
you are equalling
he/she/it is equalling
we are equalling
you are equalling
they are equalling
Present Perfect
I have equalled
you have equalled
he/she/it has equalled
we have equalled
you have equalled
they have equalled
Past Continuous
I was equalling
you were equalling
he/she/it was equalling
we were equalling
you were equalling
they were equalling
Past Perfect
I had equalled
you had equalled
he/she/it had equalled
we had equalled
you had equalled
they had equalled
Future
I will equal
you will equal
he/she/it will equal
we will equal
you will equal
they will equal
Future Perfect
I will have equalled
you will have equalled
he/she/it will have equalled
we will have equalled
you will have equalled
they will have equalled
Future Continuous
I will be equalling
you will be equalling
he/she/it will be equalling
we will be equalling
you will be equalling
they will be equalling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been equalling
you have been equalling
he/she/it has been equalling
we have been equalling
you have been equalling
they have been equalling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been equalling
you will have been equalling
he/she/it will have been equalling
we will have been equalling
you will have been equalling
they will have been equalling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been equalling
you had been equalling
he/she/it had been equalling
we had been equalling
you had been equalling
they had been equalling
Conditional
I would equal
you would equal
he/she/it would equal
we would equal
you would equal
they would equal
Past Conditional
I would have equalled
you would have equalled
he/she/it would have equalled
we would have equalled
you would have equalled
they would have equalled
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.equal - a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
peer group - contemporaries of the same status
associate - a person who joins with others in some activity or endeavor; "he had to consult his associate before continuing"
coeval, contemporary - a person of nearly the same age as another
gangsta - (Black English) a member of a youth gang
backup man, fill-in, reliever, stand-in, backup, substitute, relief - someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult); "the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes"; "we need extra employees for summer fill-ins"
successor, replacement - a person who follows next in order; "he was President Lincoln's successor"
townsman - a person from the same town as yourself; "a fellow townsman"
Verb1.equal - be identical or equivalent toequal - be identical or equivalent to; "One dollar equals 1,000 rubles these days!"
correspond, equate - be equivalent or parallel, in mathematics
correspond, gibe, jibe, match, tally, agree, fit, check - be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics; "The two stories don't agree in many details"; "The handwriting checks with the signature on the check"; "The suspect's fingerprints don't match those on the gun"
represent, stand for, correspond - take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to; "Because of the sound changes in the course of history, an 'h' in Greek stands for an 's' in Latin"
translate - be equivalent in effect; "the growth in income translates into greater purchasing power"
differ - be different; "These two tests differ in only one respect"
2.equal - be equal to in quality or ability; "Nothing can rival cotton for durability"; "Your performance doesn't even touch that of your colleagues"; "Her persistence and ambition only matches that of her parents"
equalise, equalize, equate, equal, match - make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching; "let's equalize the duties among all employees in this office"; "The company matched the discount policy of its competitors"
compete, vie, contend - compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
3.equal - make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching; "let's equalize the duties among all employees in this office"; "The company matched the discount policy of its competitors"
alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
homologise, homologize - make homologous
homogenize, homogenise - cause to become equal or homogeneous as by mixing; "homogenize the main ingredients"
tie, draw - finish a game with an equal number of points, goals, etc.; "The teams drew a tie"
rival, equal, match, touch - be equal to in quality or ability; "Nothing can rival cotton for durability"; "Your performance doesn't even touch that of your colleagues"; "Her persistence and ambition only matches that of her parents"
Adj.1.equal - having the same quantity, value, or measure as another; "on equal terms"; "all men are equal before the law"
commensurate - corresponding in size or degree or extent; "pay should be commensurate with the time worked"
comparable - able to be compared or worthy of comparison
same - closely similar or comparable in kind or quality or quantity or degree; "curtains the same color as the walls"; "two girls of the same age"; "mother and son have the same blue eyes"; "animals of the same species"; "the same rules as before"; "two boxes having the same dimensions"; "the same day next year"
unequal - poorly balanced or matched in quantity or value or measure
2.equal - having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task; "she had adequate training"; "her training was adequate"; "she was adequate to the job"; "he was equal to the task"
satisfactory - giving satisfaction; "satisfactory living conditions"; "his grades were satisfactory"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

equal

adjective
2. fair, just, impartial, egalitarian, unbiased, even-handed, equable Women demand equal rights with men.
fair unfair, biased, partial, unjust, unequal, inequitable
3. even, balanced, fifty-fifty (informal), evenly matched, evenly balanced, evenly proportioned an equal contest
even uneven, unequal, unbalanced, unmatched
4. (with to) capable of, up to, ready for, suitable for, fit for, strong enough for, good enough for, sufficient for, adequate for, competent to She wanted to show she was equal to any test they gave her.
noun
1. match, equivalent, fellow, twin, mate, peer, parallel, counterpart, compeer She was one of the boys, their equal.
verb
1. amount to, make, come to, total, balance, agree with, level, parallel, tie with, equate, correspond to, be equal to, square with, be tantamount to, equalize, tally with, be level with, be even with The average pay rise equalled 1.41 times inflation.
amount to be different, disagree with, be unequal to
2. be equal to, match, reach, rival, come up to, be level with, be even with The victory equalled Scotland's best in history.
3. be as good as, match, compare with, equate with, measure up to, be as great as No amount of money can equal memories like that.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

equal

adjective
1. Agreeing exactly in value, quantity, or effect:
Idioms: on a par, one and the same.
2. Having the necessary strength or ability:
3. Just to all parties:
noun
One that is very similar to another in rank or position:
verb
1. To be equal or alike:
Informal: stack up.
2. To be equivalent or tantamount:
Idiom: have all the earmarks.
3. To do or make something equal to:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مُساوٍمُساوٍ لِنَظيريُساوِييُساوي، يُعادِل
stejnýrovnat se
ligelige-ligemandudlignevære lig med
sama
olla tasavertainensamasamanlainentasavertainenvertainen
ravnopravanujednačiti
jafnjafngildajafningi
・・・に等しい等しい
...과 같다같은
būti lygiamlygybėpo lygiaisulygintivienodas
līdzīgslīdzinātieslīdzinieksvienāds
egal
enakizenačiti
betydajämbördiglikvara lik
ซึ่งเท่ากันทำให้เท่าเทียมกัน
eşiteşit olmakeşitlemekakranaynı
bằng nhaubằng với

equal

[ˈiːkwəl]
A. ADJ
1. (= identical in size, value) [number, amount] → igual
the cake was divided into twelve equal partsel pastel estaba dividida en doce partes iguales
to be of equal importance/valuetener igual importancia/el mismo valor
with equal ease/indifferencecon igual or la misma facilidad/indiferencia
to come equal first/second (in competition) → compartir el primer/segundo puesto; (in race) → llegar ambos en primer/segundo lugar
to be equal in sth they are equal in strengthson igual de fuertes, tienen la misma fuerza
they are equal in sizeson del mismo tamaño, son iguales de tamaño
they are equal in valuetienen el mismo valor, tienen igual valor
on equal termsde igual a igual
all or other things being equalsi no intervienen otros factores
an amount equal to half your salaryuna cantidad equivalente a la mitad de tu sueldo
to be equal to sth (= equivalent) → equivaler a algo
his silence was equal to an admission of guiltsu silencio equivalía a una admisión de culpabilidad
a metre is equal to 39 inchesun metro equivale a 39 pulgadas
she is equal to her mother in intelligencees tan inteligente como su madre, es igual de inteligente que su madre
we are all equal before or in the eyes of Godtodos somos iguales a los ojos de Dios
see also footing
2. (= capable)
to be/feel equal to sth I'm confident that he is equal to the tasktengo la seguridad de que está capacitado para desempeñar la tarea
she did not feel equal to going outno se sentía con fuerzas or ánimo para salir
she was equal to the situationestaba a la altura de la situación
B. N
1. (= person) → igual mf
she is his equalella es su igual
she has no equalno hay nadie que se la iguale
they are intellectual equalsintelectualmente están a la par
to treat sb as an equaltratar a algn de igual a igual
2. (= thing) to have no equal; be without equalno tener igual
the film has no equal in cinema historyla película no tiene igual en la historia del cine
a talent without equalun talento sin igual or sin par
C. VT
1. (Math) → ser igual a
let x equal ysi x es igual a y, suponiendo que x sea igual a y
two plus two equals fourdos y dos son cuatro
2. [+ record, rival, quality] → igualar
there is nothing to equal itno hay nada que se le iguale, no hay nada que lo iguale
prices not to be equalledprecios sin competencia
D. CPD equal opportunities NPLigualdad fsing de oportunidades
Equal Opportunities Commission N (Brit) → Comisión f para la Igualdad de Oportunidades
equal opportunities or opportunity employer Nempresa f no discriminatoria
equal pay Nigual salario m
equal pay for equal workigual salario or el mismo salario para el mismo trabajo
equal rights NPLigualdad fsing de derechos
equals sign, equal sign N (Math) → signo m de igual
equal time N (US) (Rad, TV) → derecho m de respuesta
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

equal

[ˈiːkwəl]
adj
(= the same) [number, importance] → égal(e)
to be of equal importance → être d'importance égale
to be equal in size
They are roughly equal in size → Ils sont à peu près de la même taille.
to be equal to (= the same as) → être égal à
(when talking about possible developments) all things being equal, other things being equal → toutes choses égales d'ailleurs
(= capable) to be equal to doing sth → être de taille à faire qch, être capable de faire qch
to be equal to a task → être à la hauteur d'une tâche
(= capable of satisfying) to be equal to a demand → pouvoir répondre à une attente
négal(e) m/f
sb's intellectual equal → l'égal intellectuel de qn
to be sb's equal → être l'égal de qn
to have no equal (= be unrivalled) → ne pas avoir son pareil(sa)(le)
vt
(= total) → égaler
79 minus 14 equals 65 → 79 moins 14 égalent 65.
(= be as good as) → égaler
to equal sth for sth [+ speed, excitement] → égaler qch pour ce qui est de qch
Few cars can equal a Ferrari for speed → Il y a peu de voitures qui puissent égaler une Ferrari pour ce qui est de la vitesse.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

equal

adj
(= identical) parts, number, value, importance etcgleich; an equal amount of landgleich viel Land; equal numbers of men and womengleich viele Männer und Frauen; A and B are of equal valueA hat den gleichen Wert wie B; to be of equal importancegleich wichtig sein; to be equal in size (to)gleich groß sein (wie); two halves are equal to one wholezwei Halbe sind gleich ein Ganzes; a is equal to ba ist gleich b; an amount equal to the purchase priceeine dem Kaufpreis entsprechende Summe; with equal enthusiasmmit gleich großer Begeisterung; other things being equalwenn nichts dazwischenkommt; education is a good thing, other things being equalBildung an sich ist etwas Gutes
(= without discrimination) opportunities, rights, pay, accessgleich; equal opportunities (for men and women)Chancengleichheit f(für Männer und Frauen); equal rights for womendie Gleichberechtigung der Frau; on equal terms or an equal footing (meet, compete)als Gleichgestellte; (= under the same conditions)unter den gleichen Bedingungen; to be on equal terms (with somebody)(mit jdm) gleichgestellt sein; to put somebody on an equal footing (with somebody)jdn (mit jdm) gleichstellen; the relationship should be put on a more equal footingdas Verhältnis sollte eines unter Gleichgestellten werden; all men are equal, but some are more equal than others (hum)alle Menschen sind gleich, nur einige sind gleicher (hum)
(= capable) to be equal to the situation/taskder Situation/Aufgabe gewachsen sein; to feel equal to somethingsich zu etw imstande or im Stande or in der Lage fühlen
n
(in rank) → Gleichgestellte(r) mf; she is his equalsie ist ihm ebenbürtig; our equalsunseresgleichen; to treat somebody as an equaljdn als ebenbürtig behandeln; to have no equalnicht seinesgleichen haben; (= be unsurpassed)unübertroffen sein
equals pl (US: = pay) → Bezahlung f, → Entlohnung f
vi three times three equals ninedrei mal drei (ist) gleich neun; let x equal 3wenn x gleich 3 ist, x sei (gleich) 3
vt
(= match, rival)gleichkommen (+dat); he equalled (Brit) or equaled (US) his brother in generosityer kam seinem Bruder an Großzügigkeit gleich; not to be equalled (Brit) or equaled (US) → unvergleichlich; (= unsurpassed)unübertroffen; this show is not to be equalled (Brit) or equaled (US) by any otherdiese Show hat nicht ihresgleichen; there is nothing to equal itnichts kommt dem gleich
(Math) 2 times 3 equals 62 mal 3 ist (gleich) 6; x is equal to or greater/less than 10x ist größer/kleiner (oder) gleich zehn
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

equal

[ˈiːkwl]
1. adj equal (to)uguale (a)
an equal amount of time → lo stesso tempo
to be equal in strength → avere la stessa forza
all things being equal → se tutto va bene
with equal ease/indifference → con la stessa facilità/indifferenza
on equal terms → su un piano di parità
to be/feel equal to (task) → essere/sentirsi all'altezza di
2. n (person, thing) → pari m/f inv, simile m/f, uguale m/f
without equal → senza pari
3. vt (Math) → fare; (record, rival) → uguagliare
there is nothing to equal it → non ha rivali
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

equal

(ˈiːkwəl) adjective
the same in size, amount, value etc. four equal slices; coins of equal value; Are these pieces equal in size? Women want equal wages with men.
noun
one of the same age, rank, ability etc. I am not his equal at running.
verbpast tense, past participle ˈequalled , (American) ˈequaled
to be the same in amount, value, size etc. I cannot hope to equal him; She equalled his score of twenty points; Five and five equals ten.
equality (iˈkwoləti) noun
the state of being equal. Women want equality of opportunity with men.
ˈequalize, ˈequalise verb
to make or become equal. Our team were winning by one goal – but the other side soon equalized.
ˈequally adverb
All are equally good; He divided his chocolate equally between us.
equal to
fit or able for. I didn't feel equal to telling him the truth.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

equal

مُساوٍ, يُساوِي rovnat se, stejný lige, være lig med gleich, gleichen εξισώνω, ίσος igual, igualar olla tasavertainen, tasavertainen égal, égaler ravnopravan, ujednačiti equivalere, uguale ・・・に等しい, 等しい ...과 같다, 같은 evenaren, gelijk lik, være lik dorównać, równy igual, igualar равный, равняться jämbördig, vara lik ซึ่งเท่ากัน, ทำให้เท่าเทียมกัน eşit, eşitlemek bằng nhau, bằng với 比得上, 相等的
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

equal

a. igual; parejo-a; uniforme;
___ rightsigualdad de derechos;
adv. igualmente.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
Our Soldiers and Lowest Classes of Workmen are Triangles with two equal sides, each about eleven inches long, and a base or third side so short (often not exceeding half an inch) that they form at their vertices a very sharp and formidable angle.
"According to calculation," replied Barbicane, "the fall would develop a heat equal to that produced by 16,000 globes of coal, each equal in bulk to our terrestrial globe."
Honest and truthful in intellectual matters, he could not even think that men are equal. "With these preachers of equality will I not be mixed up and confounded.
It is the character bestowed on them by the laws under which they live; and it will not be denied, that these are the proper criterion; because it is only under the pretext that the laws have transformed the negroes into subjects of property, that a place is disputed them in the computation of numbers; and it is admitted, that if the laws were to restore the rights which have been taken away, the negroes could no longer be refused an equal share of representation with the other inhabitants.
Then all their jewels, their rings and bracelets, necklets and crowns were brought, but they, too, were equal.
For military science to say this is like defining momentum in mechanics by reference to the mass only: stating that momenta are equal or unequal to each other simply because the masses involved are equal or unequal.
The agreement was that they were to run a distance of a hundred paces with equal weights; and when the challenger was asked how the weights were to be equalised he said that the other, as he weighed nine stone, should put eleven in iron on his back, and that in this way the twenty stone of the thin man would equal the twenty stone of the fat one."
The union is composed of seven coequal and sovereign states, and each state or province is a composition of equal and independent cities.
Ned Land was a Canadian, with an uncommon quickness of hand, and who knew no equal in his dangerous occupation.
Each of the aforesaid quantities is said to be equal or unequal.
THE SHE-GOATS having obtained a beard by request to Jupiter, the He-Goats were sorely displeased and made complaint that the females equaled them in dignity.
Now those things in which a city should be one are of different sorts, and in preserving an alternate reciprocation of power between these, the safety thereof consists (as I have already mentioned in my treatise on Morals), for amongst freemen and equals this is absolutely necessary; for all cannot govern at the same time, but either by the year, or according to some other regulation or time, by which means every one in his turn will be in office; as if the shoemakers and carpenters should exchange occupations, and not always be employed in the same calling.