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equal

Syllabification: (e·qual)
Pronunciation: /ˈēkwəl/

Translate equal | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of equal

adjective

  • 1being the same in quantity, size, degree, or value:add equal amounts of water and flour 1 liter is roughly equal to 1 quart
  • (of people) having the same status, rights, or opportunities.
  • uniform in application or effect; without discrimination on any grounds:a dedicated campaigner for equal rights
  • evenly or fairly balanced:it was hardly an equal contest
  • 2 [predic.] (equal to) having the ability or resources to meet (a challenge):the players proved equal to the task

noun

  • a person or thing considered to be the same as another in status or quality:we all treat each other as equals it was a day without equal in market history

verb (equals, equaling, equaled; also chiefly Britishequals, equalling, equalled)

[with object]
  • be the same as in number or amount:four plus six divided by two equals five the total debits should equal the total credits
  • match or rival in performance or extent:he equaled the world record of 9.93 seconds
  • be equivalent to:his work is concerned with why private property equals exploitation

Phrases

(the) first among equals

the person or thing having the highest status in a group.

other (or all) things being equal

provided that other factors or circumstances remain the same:it follows that, other things being equal, the price level will rise

Origin:

late Middle English: from Latin aequalis, from aequus 'even, level, equal'

It is widely held that adjectives such as equal and unique have absolute meanings and therefore can have no degrees of comparison. Hence they should not be modified, and it is incorrect to say more equal or very unique on the grounds that these are adjectives that refer to a logical or mathematical absolute. For more discussion of this question, see unique (usage).

Spelling rule

Do not double the final consonant when adding endings that begin with a vowel to a word that ends in a vowel plus a consonant, if the stress is not at the end of the word (as in target): (equals, equaling, equaled).

equal in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of equal in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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