1
a(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
4
a
: capable of meeting the requirements of a situation or a task
b
: suitable
bored with work not equal to his abilities
1
: one that is equal
insists that women can be absolute equals with men—
Anne Bernays
Anne Bernays2
: an equal quantity
equaled or equalled; equaling or equalling
1
: to be equal to
especially
: to be identical in value to
2
archaic
: equalize
3
: to make or produce something equal to
Synonyms
Adjective
- candid
- disinterested
- dispassionate
- equitable
- evenhanded
- fair
- impartial
- indifferent
- just
- nonpartisan
- objective
- square
- unbiased
- unprejudiced
Noun
Verb
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 WebAlison Herman, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Yet, sadly, there is such a long way to go to achieve unity and equal justice.
—Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Taco Bell offers burrito BOGO for National Burrito Day April 4
Taco Bell customers who use the Taco Bell app can get a free burrito of equal or lesser value for 50% off when buying a burrito in the app on National Burrito Day.
—Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Uber Eats: Buy one Beefy 5-Layer Burrito and get one of equal or lesser value free.
Recreo Cantina's Ay Dios Mios Burrito Challenge
Recreo Cantina will be holding an Ay Dios Mios Burrito Challenge with 100% of proceeds being donated (from participants who fail) to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley.
—Mike Snider, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
For example, 49% of men say that America hasn’t gone far enough in giving women equal rights with men, and the majority of White Americans (60%) support Black Lives Matter.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Uber Eats: Buy one Beefy 5-Layer Burrito and get one of equal or lesser value free.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
But for many, Black Cowboy culture doesn’t hold an equal resonance, especially with a flag involved.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
Indeed, despite all the talk at the moment about Article 5 and the principle of collective defense, the general says the Estonian military puts equal stock in Article 3, which outlines each member’s obligation for self-defense.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
Theo Zenou, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024
Sparing us the decade-long gap between those projects, Winslet has made a quick return to HBO with The Regime, a six-episode story that struggles to come together as the equal of its predecessors.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2024
Finally, having trust in AI is actually something quite different from the concept of trust among humans, because the machine is not the equal of the human.
—Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Imagine the league replacing a top MLS player such as Messi with a minor league player and trying to pass them off as equals.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
In movies, sound and image are equals, and talk is action.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2024
Mbappé, alongside first Neymar and then Lionel Messi, too, was supposed to establish the club as a genuine superpower, an equal of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and the giants of the Premier League.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024
Hispano-Suiza, founded in 1904, set the stage as a Spanish luxury marque every bit the equal of Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, and Mercedes.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2024
The two will be equals, but Ms. O’Neill, whose party captured more seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 2022 elections, will hold the more prestigious title.
—Brian Melley, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Feb. 2024
All Cbd Naturals, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Yes, adding any number of jobs isn’t bad, but 154,000 new workers equals only 0.9 percent growth in a hot U.S. job market that grew 2 percent.
—Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
Of that starting sum, SEA units comprise 34,000 (equaling 44.15 million on-demand official streams of the set’s four songs), album sales comprise 3,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2024
Since 1955, the Federal Reserve has voted to cut rates significantly (consecutive rate cuts equalling 1% or more) 17 times.
—Paul Weinstein Jr., Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, the human characters have never mattered less, other than trying, ineffectively, to explain the chaos that ensues, as multiplication equals subtraction in a sequel that’s Titan-ic in all the wrong ways.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Valid signatures must come from at least five different counties and in those counties must equal at least 1% of the last vote for governor.
—Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
Battery capacity, despite recent improvements, does not equal the energy density of jet fuel.
—Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
But states also need to enhance their footprint (whether through capabilities or funding) in Antarctica, where presence equals power.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Galitzine sells both incarnations with equal conviction, and all the gradations in between as George gradually adopts his mother’s ultra-pragmatic view of the world.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Yet, sadly, there is such a long way to go to achieve unity and equal justice.
—Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Taco Bell offers burrito BOGO for National Burrito Day April 4
Taco Bell customers who use the Taco Bell app can get a free burrito of equal or lesser value for 50% off when buying a burrito in the app on National Burrito Day.
—Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Uber Eats: Buy one Beefy 5-Layer Burrito and get one of equal or lesser value free.
Recreo Cantina's Ay Dios Mios Burrito Challenge
Recreo Cantina will be holding an Ay Dios Mios Burrito Challenge with 100% of proceeds being donated (from participants who fail) to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley.
—Mike Snider, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
For example, 49% of men say that America hasn’t gone far enough in giving women equal rights with men, and the majority of White Americans (60%) support Black Lives Matter.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Uber Eats: Buy one Beefy 5-Layer Burrito and get one of equal or lesser value free.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
But for many, Black Cowboy culture doesn’t hold an equal resonance, especially with a flag involved.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
Indeed, despite all the talk at the moment about Article 5 and the principle of collective defense, the general says the Estonian military puts equal stock in Article 3, which outlines each member’s obligation for self-defense.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
As far as he was concerned, Moroccan Jews were the equals of Moroccan Muslims.
—Theo Zenou, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024
Sparing us the decade-long gap between those projects, Winslet has made a quick return to HBO with The Regime, a six-episode story that struggles to come together as the equal of its predecessors.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2024
Finally, having trust in AI is actually something quite different from the concept of trust among humans, because the machine is not the equal of the human.
—Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Imagine the league replacing a top MLS player such as Messi with a minor league player and trying to pass them off as equals.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
In movies, sound and image are equals, and talk is action.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2024
Mbappé, alongside first Neymar and then Lionel Messi, too, was supposed to establish the club as a genuine superpower, an equal of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and the giants of the Premier League.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024
Hispano-Suiza, founded in 1904, set the stage as a Spanish luxury marque every bit the equal of Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, and Mercedes.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2024
The two will be equals, but Ms. O’Neill, whose party captured more seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 2022 elections, will hold the more prestigious title.
—Brian Melley, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Feb. 2024
Verb
This equals a 1:1 ratio of CBD and CBG in each bottle.
—All Cbd Naturals, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Yes, adding any number of jobs isn’t bad, but 154,000 new workers equals only 0.9 percent growth in a hot U.S. job market that grew 2 percent.
—Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
Of that starting sum, SEA units comprise 34,000 (equaling 44.15 million on-demand official streams of the set’s four songs), album sales comprise 3,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2024
Since 1955, the Federal Reserve has voted to cut rates significantly (consecutive rate cuts equalling 1% or more) 17 times.
—Paul Weinstein Jr., Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, the human characters have never mattered less, other than trying, ineffectively, to explain the chaos that ensues, as multiplication equals subtraction in a sequel that’s Titan-ic in all the wrong ways.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Valid signatures must come from at least five different counties and in those counties must equal at least 1% of the last vote for governor.
—Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
Battery capacity, despite recent improvements, does not equal the energy density of jet fuel.
—Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
But states also need to enhance their footprint (whether through capabilities or funding) in Antarctica, where presence equals power.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'equal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near equal
Cite this Entry
“Equal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equal. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
equal
1 of 3 adjective1
a
: exactly the same in number, amount, degree, rank, or quality
an equal number of apples and oranges
officers of equal rank
of equal importance
b
: identical in mathematical value : equivalent
2
: not varying from one person or part to another
equal job opportunities
equal pressure throughout the system
3
: impartial
equal laws
4
: capable of meeting requirements : sufficient
equal to the task
equally
adverb
equal
2 of 3 noun1
: one that is equal
has no equal at chess
2
: an equal quantity
equal
3 of 3 verb
equaled or equalled; equaling or equalling
1
: to be equal to
2
: to produce something equal to : match
see if you can equal that!
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