equivalent 1 of 2

Definition of equivalentnext
as in counterpart
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value that huge mansion at the end of the street is the equivalent of five ordinary houses

Synonyms & Similar Words

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equivalent

2 of 2

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How is the word equivalent different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of equivalent are equal, identical, same, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

When would equal be a good substitute for equivalent?

While in some cases nearly identical to equivalent, equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

Where would identical be a reasonable alternative to equivalent?

Although the words identical and equivalent have much in common, identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

How are the words same and selfsame related as synonyms of equivalent?

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

How does the word very relate to other synonyms for equivalent?

Very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

How is the word equivalent different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of equivalent are equal, identical, same, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

When would equal be a good substitute for equivalent?

While in some cases nearly identical to equivalent, equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

Where would identical be a reasonable alternative to equivalent?

Although the words identical and equivalent have much in common, identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

How are the words same and selfsame related as synonyms of equivalent?

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

How does the word very relate to other synonyms for equivalent?

Very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of equivalent
Noun
The court’s decision could be described as a contracts law equivalent of two people not being forced to marry after they got engaged and their courtship soured. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026 Leaving Italy for Paris, Jarmusch said the Italian equivalent of TSA had asked him what was in the box containing his Golden Lion. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
She’s been clocked at 64 mph, which in softball, pitching from 43 feet, is roughly equivalent to a baseball pitcher throwing 95 mph at 60 feet, six inches. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026 Roughly 20 million barrels per day of oil moved through Hormuz in 2024, equivalent to about one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption. Tenzin Seldon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for equivalent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivalent
Noun
  • Given the importance of preserving relations with the FCC, which has a say over a range of local station matters and must approve any mergers involving the transfer of broadcast licenses, LeGeyt has deliberately avoided a direct clash with his Washington counterpart.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Altman’s rivalry with Musk is one among several in Silicon Valley; the OpenAI boss famously refused to hold hands with his Anthropic counterpart at a recent AI event in India.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • In comparable territory, The Outsiders keeps things earnest, and even Stranger Things, for all its loopiness, plays its baby-monster antihero story tragic and straight.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The legislation also includes the implementation of a public online database displaying information on DCF’s performance comparable to federal standards and additional mandatory training for DCF employees.
    Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Notably, Bauhinia blakeana is a sterile hybrid, resulting from the cross-pollination of two different plant varieties.
    Pauline J. Yao, Artforum, 2 May 2026
  • Those two would be no different.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • Held about twice a year on Saturdays, the events rely on volunteers from across the justice system, including judges, prosecutors, public defenders, probation officers and community partners who help connect participants with additional resources and services.
    Jamie Leary, CBS News, 2 May 2026
  • The cemetery partners with a land trust to manage, restore and protect the land from development.
    Dorany Pineda, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Adjective
  • An analogous argument, albeit in the context of children and teenagers, was recently brought against Meta and other social media companies.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Apr. 2026
  • What’s going on there is analogous to what the oil business did in Houston and Dallas.
    Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The royal pair is set to spend time at the nation's capital, including a formal state dinner at the White House and an address to a joint session of Congress, before venturing to other nearby states.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
  • On Saturday, Moscow pummeled the central city of Dnipro and other areas for more than twenty hours with barrages of missiles and drones, killing at least seven people.
    Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Kirsten Kelly-Vargas and her husband, Gary, felt a similar urgency to acquire the proper attire for the occasion.
    Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
  • Paller tried a similar experiment in 2009, this time using sound.
    Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • Depending on the time of year, substitute in-season veggies.
    Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026
  • On 100 minutes, substitute Brian Cipenga whipped in a corner from the left that evaded both attacking and defensive players and bounced in off the onrushing Tuanzebe.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Equivalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivalent. Accessed 3 May. 2026.

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