equal

adjective

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\ 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

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 The Pfizer and Moderna allotment include an equal number of second doses. — Richard Tribou, orlandosentinel.com, "Johnson & Johnson vaccine shortage cuts Florida supply next week, down nearly 270k doses," 7 Apr. 2021 The 9/11 Commission, which serves as the model for independent investigatory panels, consisted of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. — Nicole Sganga, CBS News, "Ex-national security officials call for commission to investigate Capitol attack," 7 Apr. 2021 The fastball and slider proved to be his most dominant pitches, drawing an equal number of whiffs (6). — BostonGlobe.com, "Despite the loss to the Orioles, starter Tanner Houck provided the Red Sox a glimmer of hope," 3 Apr. 2021 The report was jointly written by 17 international experts, selected by WHO and approved by China, and an equal number of Chinese scientists. — Kai Kupferschmidt, Science | AAAS, "‘Compromise’ WHO report resolves little on pandemic’s origins, but details probe’s next steps," 30 Mar. 2021 An equal number of the remaining teams were picked to finish sixth or lower — Arkansas, Michigan, Oregon State, Southern California and Syracuse. — Erick Smith, USA TODAY, "Where the Sweet 16 teams in the men's NCAA Tournament were predicted to finish in their conferences," 27 Mar. 2021 If the board cannot appoint an essentially equal number of inspectors based on the party, the local clerk would need to send a report to the state within 10 days of the election explaining what was done to search for inspectors. — Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan GOP senators file 39 election reform bills Democrats call racist, based on lies," 25 Mar. 2021 Some 100 original photographic prints by Ansel Adams, the iconic photographer of the West, are complemented by a nearly equal number of works by artists who preceded him and by contemporary photographers who have their own take on the subject. — Briana Miller, oregonlive, "Ansel Adams, Johnnie Chatman, Emily Counts headline Portland’s spring art shows," 24 Mar. 2021 That group is collectively guaranteed about $175 million in salary over the life of their contracts, a number roughly equal to what team owner Robert Kraft paid to acquire the team in 1994. — Kyle Hightower, courant.com, "Energy already high among new additions to Patriots’ roster," 22 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Those early critics eventually became among his closest allies and Turley their professional equal. — The Salt Lake Tribune, "How an accidental historian won over critics and shed light on two of Mormonism’s darkest hours," 10 May 2020 That someone regards you and treats you as an equal is the first square on the board of finding a partner or friend. — Washington Post, "Carolyn Hax: Will he stop treating you like a child? Don’t hold your breath.," 25 Nov. 2020 Are either of those two Johnny-come-lately luxury sedans from Japan the equal of a Mercedes? — Martin Padgett Jr., Car and Driver, "Tested: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 600SEL Delivers Unparalleled Excess," 16 Sep. 2020 Others may question whether Swift will be seen in history as the artistic equal of Sinatra, Wonder and Simon. — Paul Grein, Billboard, "Taylor Swift Has Already Won Two Grammys for Album of the Year. Could She Win a Third? Should She?," 8 Sep. 2020 Roberto, who is 10 years older, treats her as an intellectual equal, engaging her in philosophical conversations that combine Catholic theology with a critique of capitalism. — Washington Post, "Elena Ferrante returns with ‘The Lying Life of Adults,’ and fans of the Neapolitan novels will be thrilled," 31 Aug. 2020 Woman is now recognized as the political equal of man. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "From the Archives: Democracy ‘made another stride forward’ in 1920 when women won the right to vote," 21 Aug. 2020 Such a deal is expected to be an all-stock merger-of-equals, and not impact ongoing plans for United Technologies to spin off its Otis elevator and Carrier building systems units. — Edward Baig, USA TODAY, "United Technologies and Raytheon in advanced merger talks, reports say," 9 June 2019 Everyone saw them as joint regents, a woman and a man who are equals, who are reigning together. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Get an exclusive first look at The Spanish Princess season 2," 7 May 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Bishop Lynch had a remarkable fourth quarter, scoring 28 points to equal its total for the rest of the game and rallying for a 56-46 win over Houston The Village in the TAPPS 6A state championship game at A&M Consolidated High School. — Dallas News, "TAPPS girls basketball championship recaps: Bishop Lynch, Fort Worth Southwest Christian win titles in 6A, 5A," 12 Mar. 2021 Today's software for self-driving cars, on the other hand, requires millions of simulated hours to equal the same level of performance. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, "Facebook says its new Instagram-trained A.I. represents a big leap forward for computer vision," 4 Mar. 2021 That is expected to equal about 15,000 more total doses coming to Alabama and more places where people can get the vaccine. — al, "How long will it take to vaccinate Alabama and how can we speed it up?," 7 Feb. 2021 Two visuals stuck in my mind: Chris Wallace sucking down Xanax through a funnel and eating enough mini-Snickers to equal the weight of a cocker spaniel. — BostonGlobe.com, "Letters to the Editor of Globe Magazine," 5 Feb. 2021 Bass Pro Shops and Toyota will match the donations to equal 100 percent of entry fees. — Matt Wyatt, San Antonio Express-News, "Bass Pro Shops announces $1 million bass tournament for amateurs only," 4 Feb. 2021 That’s enough to equal 6.85 percent of all Xboxes sold in the United States. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "Scalpers auctioned nearly 7% of new Xbox consoles and 50,000 GeForce GPUs," 29 Jan. 2021 Over the course of a career, that can equal millions of dollars left on the table. — Forbes, "How The Financial Planning Industry Has Failed Women…And How We Fix It," 2 Mar. 2021 If the 5-to-1 ratio turns out to be true, that would equal more than 2.4 million people have already been infected, bringing the state closer to that herd immunity threshold. — Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, "Alabama could reach herd immunity as early as May, UAB researcher estimates," 28 Feb. 2021

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.