equable

adjective

equa·​ble ˈe-kwə-bəl How to pronounce equable (audio) ˈē- How to pronounce equable (audio)
1
: marked by lack of variation or change : uniform
an equable distance apart
2
: marked by lack of noticeable, unpleasant, or extreme variation or inequality
an equable temperament
equability noun
equableness noun
equably adverb

Did you know?

Equable usually describes either climate or personality. The word seems to be used less today than in decades past, maybe because the personality type is less admired than it used to be. A steady, calm, equable personality may not produce much excitement but usually makes for a good worker and a good parent, and maybe even a longer life. In the words of the poet Robert Service: "Avoid extremes: be moderate / In saving and in spending. / An equable and easy gait / Will win an easy ending".

Choose the Right Synonym for equable

steady, even, equable mean not varying throughout a course or extent.

steady implies lack of fluctuation or interruption of movement.

steady progress

even suggests a lack of variation in quality or character.

an even distribution

equable implies lack of extremes or of sudden sharp changes.

maintain an equable temper

Examples of equable in a Sentence

an area with an equable climate would be our first choice for a place in which to settle
Recent Examples on the Web Wolcott is an equable type with cropped dark hair and a preference for business-casual attire, which in the Pacific Northwest qualifies as formal wear. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024 The elves with which the casual viewer or reader is familiar may be noble, equable creatures. Jack Butler, National Review, 31 Dec. 2023 The climate of the Pala valley is delightfully balmy and equable. Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2023 Its colorful international cast of players and their equable manager, Carlo Ancelotti — returning after years to reverse the team’s fortunes — might easily have been invented in a Hollywood writers room. Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2023 Where Haldane was a volatile, disruptive and unpredictable force, doing both great work and some considerable damage, full of bracing insights but sometimes ethically purblind, Mr. Subramanian is just, equable, generous and reliable in all his judgments. Richard Davenport-Hines, WSJ, 21 Aug. 2020 The young world of aviation came away thinking that L.A. — with its basin of wide, flat places and equable weather — was indeed the place for aviation’s future. Patt Morrisoncolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2023 He was simply bowled over by the beauty and the energy of the place, the broad-mindedness, the equable weather, the dramatic geography. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2022 The equable-nerd manner that colleagues once noted in Alito deserted him soon after Barack Obama became President. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'equable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin aequabilis, from aequare to make level or equal, from aequus

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of equable was in 1677

Dictionary Entries Near equable

Cite this Entry

“Equable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equable. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

equable

adjective
: not varying or changing
especially : free from extremes or sudden or harsh changes
an equable temper
an equable climate
equably
-blē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on equable

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