Dictionary

equivalent en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈkwɪvələnt/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Latin aequivalentem, accusative singular of aequivalēns, present active participle of aequivaleō (“to be equivalent, have equal power”). By surface analysis, equi- + -valent. Mostly displaced native Middle English efenmete (See evenmete).

Meanings

1. Similar or identical in value, meaning or effect; virtually equal.
   • Total activity levels in the lowest quartile were equivalent to walking for 49 minutes at roughly 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) per hour daily. Total activity levels in the second-, third- and fourth-highest quartiles were equivalent to 78, 105 and 160 minutes, respectively. 2024 November 15, Kristen Rogers, “Want to live an extra 5 to 10 years? Adopt this habit, study suggests”, in CNN, archived from the original on 11 Jul 2025:
   • To burn calories, a thirty-minute jog is equivalent to a couple of hamburgers.
   • For now to serve and to minister, servile and ministerial, are terms equivalent. 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
   • A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place. Applying a force tangential to the knob is essentially equivalent to applying one perpendicular to a radial line defining the lever. 2012 March 14, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, pages 112–3:
2. Of two sets, having a one-to-one correspondence.
   • Finite sets A and B are equivalent sets only when n(A) = n(B) i.e., the number of elements in A and B are equal. c. 2005, P N Gupta Kulbhushan, Comprehensive MCQ's in Mathematics, page 3:
   • Equivalent sets should, by rights, have the same "number" of elements. For this reason we sometimes say that equivalent sets have the same cardinality. 2000, N. L. Carothers, Real Analysis, page 18:
   • All enumerable sets are equivalent to each other, but not to any finite set. 1950, E. Kamke, Theory of Sets, page 16:
   • The equivalence theorem: If both M is equivalent to a subset N₁ of N and N is equivalent to a subset M₁ of M, then the sets M and N are equivalent to each other. 2006, Joseph Breuer, Introduction to the Theory of Sets, page 41:
3. Relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation.
4. Of two categories, (informally) such that one is essentially a relabeling of the other; (formally) related by a pair of functors such the composition of the one with the other is naturally isomorphic to the identity functor.
5. Having the equal ability to combine.
6. Of a map, equal-area.
7. Equal in measure but not admitting of superposition; applied to magnitudes.
   • A square may be equivalent to a triangle.

Forms

Deriveds

inequivalent · biequivalent · carbon dioxide equivalent · non-union Mexican equivalent · osmoequivalent · equivalent shaft horsepower · row-equivalent · equivalent variation · quasiequivalent · forty-foot equivalent unit · equivalentist · equivalently · flight-time equivalent dose · Morita-equivalent · nonequivalent · equivalent weight · bioequivalent · equivalent airspeed · car equivalent unit · NP-equivalent · jeu de taquin equivalent · background radiation equivalent time · microequivalent · banana equivalent dose · tissue equivalent material · cyberequivalent · macroequivalent · gramme equivalent · nanoequivalent · milliequivalent · equivalent potential temperature · space equivalent zone · twenty-foot equivalent unit · equivalent dose

Synonyms

equipollent · on a par · equinumerous

Translations (85)

mi taurite (similar or identical in value) · mi hāngaitanga (similar or identical in value) · nl gelijkwaardig (similar or identical in value) · uk рівноці́нний (similar or identical in value) · te సమానము (similar or identical in value) · pl ekwiwalentny (similar or identical in value) · te సమానము (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · oc equivalent (similar or identical in value) · tl katimbang (similar or identical in value) · hi समान (similar or identical in value) · fi ekvivalentti (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · pl odpowiadający (similar or identical in value) · ja 等価な (similar or identical in value) · az eynigüclü (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · bg еквивале́нтен (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · pt equivalente (similar or identical in value) · tl kahalga (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · ro echivalent (similar or identical in value) · pt equivalente (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · ka თანაბარძალიანი (similar or identical in value) · az ekvivalent (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · hu ekvivalens (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · fa همارز (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · hu ekvivalens (similar or identical in value) · sv likvärdig (similar or identical in value) · es equivalente (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · tl kapantay (similar or identical in value) · ro echivalent (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · fr équivalent (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · fa برابر (similar or identical in value) · bg равносто́ен (similar or identical in value) · gl equivalente (similar or identical in value) · be эквівале́нтны (similar or identical in value) · hi बराबर (similar or identical in value) · cmn 等价的 (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · ka ტოლფასიანი (similar or identical in value) · pl odpowiedni (similar or identical in value) · te సమానము (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · fr équivalent (similar or identical in value) · ka თანაბარმნიშვნელოვანი (similar or identical in value) · ka თანაბარღირებული (similar or identical in value) · es equivalente (similar or identical in value) · ka თანაბარფასიანი (similar or identical in value) · tr muadil (similar or identical in value) · ca equivalent (similar or identical in value) · hu egyenértékű (similar or identical in value) · be раўнацэ́нны (similar or identical in value) · th เทียบเท่า (similar or identical in value) · el ισοδύναμος (similar or identical in value) · ru эквивале́нтный (similar or identical in value) · hy համարժեք (similar or identical in value) · ko 동등하다 (similar or identical in value) · tr eşdeğer (similar or identical in value) · de äquivalent (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · fi vastaava (similar or identical in value) · de gleichwertig (similar or identical in value) · de äquivalent (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · tl katumbas (similar or identical in value) · eo ekvivalenta (similar or identical in value) · fi ekvivalentti (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · fr équivalent (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · fi yhtäpitävä (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · lv līdzvērtīgs (similar or identical in value) · fi samanlainen (similar or identical in value) · pl równoważny (similar or identical in value) · fa هامال (similar or identical in value) · be раўнава́ртасны (similar or identical in value) · ka ეკვივალენტური (similar or identical in value) · de entsprechend (similar or identical in value) · ar مُعَادِل (similar or identical in value) · sv ekvivalent (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · uk еквівале́нтний (similar or identical in value) · de äquivalent (similar or identical in value) · fi yhtäpitävä (of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship) · ga comhionann (similar or identical in value) · sv ekvivalent (similar or identical in value) · pt equivalente (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · ja 相当な (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · tl kapareho (similar or identical in value) · bg еквивале́нтен (similar or identical in value) · cs ekvivalentní (similar or identical in value) · ru равноце́нный (similar or identical in value) · ru эквивале́нтный (relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation) · it equivalente (similar or identical in value) · cmn 等值 (similar or identical in value)

equivalent en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈkwɪvələnt/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Latin aequivalentem, accusative singular of aequivalēns, present active participle of aequivaleō (“to be equivalent, have equal power”). By surface analysis, equi- + -valent. Mostly displaced native Middle English efenmete (See evenmete).

Meanings

1. Anything that is virtually equal to something else, or has the same value, force, etc.
   • He owned that, if the Test Act were repealed, the Protestants were entitled to an equivalent, and went so far as to suggest several equivalents. 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter VII, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
   • Our decision about energy will test the character of the American people and the ability of the President and the Congress to govern. This difficult effort will be the "moral equivalent of war" — except that we will be uniting our efforts to build and not destroy. 1977 April 18, Jimmy Carter, President's Address to the Nation on Proposed National Energy Policy:
2. An equivalent weight.

Forms

Coordinates

counterpart

Deriveds

gram equivalent · electrochemical equivalent · certainty equivalent · gasoline gallon equivalent · pitting resistance equivalent number · snow water equivalent · full-time equivalent · gasoline-equivalent gallon · water equivalent · carbon dioxide-equivalent · dose equivalent · TNT equivalent · moisture equivalent · Turing equivalent

Translations (41)

hy համարժեք (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · gd leithid (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · sv motsvarighet (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · cmn 當量 /当量 (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · sh ekvivàlent (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · tr eş değer (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · ja 等価物 (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · ota عوض (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · bg еквивале́нт (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · ru эквивале́нт (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · tl katumbas (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · be эквівале́нт (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · ca equivalent (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · sv ekvivalent (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · pl zamiennik (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · fa برابر (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · nb ekvivalent (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · fi vastine (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · uk відпові́дник (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · uk еквівале́нт (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · ar مُعَادِل (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · nn ekvivalent (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · pl odpowiednik (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · sh еквива̀лент (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · cs ekvivalent (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · da ækvivalent (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · de Entsprechung (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · tl kahalga (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · pl równoznacznik (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · hu ekvivalens (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · fr équivalent (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · ga luach-chomaoin (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · fa همسنگ (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · ko 등가물 (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · pt equivalente (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · hu megfelelő (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · sq njëvlerës (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · ka ეკვივალენტი (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · lt atitikmuo (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · es equivalente (anything that is virtually equal to something else) · de Äquivalent (anything that is virtually equal to something else)

equivalent en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈkwɪvələnt/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Latin aequivalentem, accusative singular of aequivalēns, present active participle of aequivaleō (“to be equivalent, have equal power”). By surface analysis, equi- + -valent. Mostly displaced native Middle English efenmete (See evenmete).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make equivalent to; to equal.

Forms