equal

adjective

\ ˈē-kwəl

Definition of equal

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a(1) : of the same measure, quantity, amount, or number as another

(2) : identical in mathematical value or logical denotation : equivalent

b : like in quality, nature, or status

c : like for each member of a group, class, or society provide equal employment opportunities

2 : regarding or affecting all objects in the same way : impartial

3 : free from extremes: such as

a : tranquil in mind or mood

b : not showing variation in appearance, structure, or proportion

4a : capable of meeting the requirements of a situation or a task

b : suitable bored with work not equal to his abilities

equal

noun

Definition of equal (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : one that is equal insists that women can be absolute equals with men— Anne Bernays

2 : an equal quantity

equal

verb

equaled or equalled; equaling or equalling

Definition of equal (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to be equal to especially : to be identical in value to

2 archaic : equalize

3 : to make or produce something equal to

Other Words from equal Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about equal

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Choose the Right Synonym for equal

Adjective

same, selfsame, very, identical, equivalent, equal mean not different or not differing from one another. same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things. took the same route derived from the selfsame source very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind. the very point I was trying to make identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details. identical results equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance. two houses equivalent in market value equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality. equal shares in the business

Examples of equal in a Sentence

Adjective

an equal number of apples and oranges We divided the profits into three equal shares. The play combines tragedy and comedy in equal measure. The opposing candidate has demanded equal time on television. The fractions 1/2 and 2/4 are equal. providing equal opportunities for children of all races We need to have equal academic standards for male and female students.

Noun

I consider him my equal. We are all equals here.

Verb

Nothing can ever equal that experience. See if you can equal that! a weight lifter attempting to equal his rival's performance No one can equal him in chess.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Most of the time, a normal result for the glucose screening test is a blood sugar that is equal to or less than 140 mg/dL one hour after drinking the sweet beverage, MedlinePlus says. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What You Need to Know About Glucose Testing During Pregnancy," 4 Feb. 2019 Those increases are equal to about double the current inflation rate. — Kevin Kelleher, Fortune, "San Francisco's Home Prices Soared an Average of $205,000 in the Past 6 Months," 6 July 2018 Archimedes also discovered the strength of the upward acting force exerted by the liquid is equal to the amount of water displaced by an object. — Svenja Lohner, Scientific American, "Floating with a Swim Bladder," 5 July 2018 Andrew Wheeler's coal credentials are without equal. — CBS News, "Who is Andrew Wheeler, Scott Pruitt's replacement at the EPA?," 5 July 2018 But for the amount of pressure from her blowing her nose to be equal to a punch, that’s quite incredible. — Jamie Ducharme, Time, "A Woman Fractured Her Eye Socket By Blowing Her Nose," 3 July 2018 Pie in the sky, perhaps, but North Carolina is equal to the challenge. — charlotteobserver, "Ashley Christensen," 3 July 2018 As Friedman says, not all tampons are created equal. — Yerin Kim, Seventeen, "Are You Having Trouble Using a Tampon? We Asked an Expert," 26 Mar. 2019 While all food processors will probably make your life at least a little bit easier, they aren't all created equal. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "Here Are All the Different Ways to Use Your New Food Processor," 15 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In South Korea, those born in the same year often treat each other as equals, while people must use honorific titles to address those born earlier, rather than directly using their names. — Hyung-jin Kim, The Seattle Times, "S. Korean babies born Dec. 31 become 2-year-olds next day," 13 Apr. 2019 According to the show, these two weren't creative equals but rather Gwen was the backbone to Bob's genius. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Fosse/Verdon Proves It's Time to Cancel the Fragile Male Ego," 10 Apr. 2019 Conway’s formula: 16 Lumens equals 1 incandescent watt. — Kathryn O’shea-evans, WSJ, "Goodbye, Showy Chandeliers. Hello, Low-Key Lighting That Transforms Rooms," 25 Jan. 2019 And yet there was a significant cohort of women painters who came into their own at the same time and were by and large accepted as equals in the scruffy downtown milieu that nurtured them all. — Ann Landi, WSJ, "‘Ninth Street Women’ Review: Expressing Themselves," 20 Sep. 2018 This approach contradicts the Abrahamic faiths’ traditional rejection of other religions as equals. — Gordon Mehler, WSJ, "Common Ground for a Wiccan and a Rabbi?," 1 Nov. 2018 To the naked eye, the musicians were a jovial fraternity of equals, free from the trappings of segregation or status. — Marc Myers, WSJ, "A Great Day in Harlem, Revisited," 2 Nov. 2018 Pioneer Works is perhaps the first institution in New York to include Schindler as a peer among famous equals. — Joseph Giovannini, New York Times, "In Three Famous Houses, Modern Living Unwinds," 28 June 2018 Showing that Jack and Rebecca are equals and symbolizing Rebecca choosing to forge a path of her own, the two take on a stack of dirty dishes together. — Eileen Reslen, Good Housekeeping, "The Important Things You Totally Missed on 'This Is Us' Last Night," 10 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Messy will never equal 'wealthy' at first glance, so keep things polished with clean lines, polished accessories, and neat hair and makeup. — Logan Sykes, Town & Country, "How To Dress Like You're A Millionaire," 17 Mar. 2015 Kelly Wearstler and Georg Jensen created a space where form and function exist as equals; where depth is achieved not only through the product itself, but through the ways in which that product interacts with its surroundings. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "Kelly Wearstler Partners with Georg Jensen on a Sculptural New Collection," 28 Mar. 2019 Work can be defined at the product of force and displacement such that the work done by your hands on the handle will equal the work output into the tree limb. — Rhett Allain, WIRED, "Want to Prune Trees More Easily? Use Physics," 2 May 2018 Volume traded on exchanges will equal total milk production by 2025 as more farmers, processors, and speculators jump into the market, according to data from brokerage Rice Dairy LLC. — Bloomberg.com, "Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world.," 1 May 2018 The eight assists are a season high in Division I and the 12 points are tied for the most in a game, equaling Albany senior attackman Connor Fields’ performance against Massachusetts on March 6. — Edward Lee, baltimoresun.com, "Men’s lacrosse National Player of the Week (March 20): Pat Spencer, Loyola Maryland," 20 Mar. 2018 Experts think retaliation by nations hit by tariffs will be proportional: Penalties against US exporters will equal what those nations lose from the US tariffs. — Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, "Why Trump takes a hard line on steel and aluminum," 8 Mar. 2018 Todd Hoppenstedt, public works director in the village, said more sidewalks in the village will equal increased safety for walkers. — Judy Pochel, Aurora Beacon-News, "Montgomery looks at $1M plan to build new sidewalks," 11 Jan. 2018 One rep equals one big jump forward plus three smaller jumps back. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "Strengthen Your Glutes With This 5-Part Banded Circuit From Dogpound Trainer Emily Samuel," 13 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'equal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.