equal 1 of 3

adjective

ˈē-kwəl How to pronounce equal (audio)
Definition of equalnext
1
as in equitable
marked by justice, honesty, and freedom from bias the basic belief that everyone is entitled to equal opportunity in employment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in identical
resembling another in every respect as far as I can see, except for the high price, the store-brand jacket is equal to the jacket with the designer label

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in suitable
having the required skills for an acceptable level of performance looking for someone equal to the challenge of running a large state university

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in composed
free from emotional or mental agitation he proceeded, in an equal tone, to recount the terrible events of the day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

equal

2 of 3

noun

as in equivalent
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value a basketball player who truly has no equal in his sport

Synonyms & Similar Words

equal

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to match
to produce something equal to (as in quality or value) no one has equaled Shakespeare's plays

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to mean
to be the same in meaning or effect being confined to home for a whole weekend would equal a death sentence in the minds of a lot of teens

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to parallel
to be the exact counterpart of in the British system a public school equals an American prep school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of equal are equivalent, identical, same, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

When might equivalent be a better fit than equal?

In some situations, the words equivalent and equal are roughly equivalent. However, equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

When is identical a more appropriate choice than equal?

The synonyms identical and equal are sometimes interchangeable, but identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

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

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 equal?

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 equal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of equal are equivalent, identical, same, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

When might equivalent be a better fit than equal?

In some situations, the words equivalent and equal are roughly equivalent. However, equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

When is identical a more appropriate choice than equal?

The synonyms identical and equal are sometimes interchangeable, but identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

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

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 equal?

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 equal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of equal are equivalent, identical, same, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

When might equivalent be a better fit than equal?

In some situations, the words equivalent and equal are roughly equivalent. However, equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

When is identical a more appropriate choice than equal?

The synonyms identical and equal are sometimes interchangeable, but identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

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

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 equal?

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 equal
Adjective
The cash option is a one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool. —Tanya Wildt, Freep.com, 28 Mar. 2026 Backed by his wife’s wealthy family, Coronado hoped to amass a fortune equal to that of Hernan Cortez, who had brutally subdued the Aztecs. —Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
Yet given the power differential between China and Canada—or, for that matter, between China and any NATO ally other than the United States—such a partnership will not be among equals. —Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026 In the courtroom, Waldman has few equals. —William Jones, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Falcons will have a chance to equal that run next season. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026 Payton’s falls short of Chamberlain Gary Payton II had a chance to equal the feat of one of the game’s greatest players on Friday. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for equal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equal
  1. equitable
  2. identical
  3. suitable
  4. composed
  5. equivalent
  6. match
  7. mean
  8. parallel
Adjective
  • An airport offers, if not exactly an equitable experience (there are Clear lines, lounge archipelagos), then at least a perceptible simulacrum of equality, in that everyone rides the same people movers past the same Cinnabons.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The type of hospital services that states will assess matters, said Tony Shih, a senior adviser at the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit focused on making health care more equitable.
    — Aaron Bolton, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of equitable
Adjective
  • Each suite, which is nearly identical in size to those in the Stueckle Sky Center, has large sliding doors leading out to the field, as well as windows that look back into the lounge.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
  • One resistance gene was 100% identical, suggesting a relatively recent swap.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of identical
Adjective
  • Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.
    — Cody Godwin, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
  • One way to make sure your hydrangeas look their loveliest is to plant them alongside suitable companion plants.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of suitable
Adjective
  • What caught my attention, however, beyond the lip-syncing and costume changes, was the family opposite me: the mother neat and composed, father in golf-course polo and chinos, two thirty-something sons cheering alongside a girlfriend who would not look out of place on a pageant stage.
    — Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Before Tuesday night, Konate had looked much more composed and commanding.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of composed
Noun
  • Rock stars and their equivalents in other genres often develop their craft in obscurity before being discovered; idols are apprentices, trained exhaustively by their management companies.
    — Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Short-term money market funds and cash equivalents can offer places to hide from the volatility.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of equivalent
Verb
  • Edmonton matched Pacific Division-leading Anaheim with 87 points, but has played one more game than the Ducks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
  • This approach helps planners match conservation strategies to each setting, or transect zone – urban, suburban, seminatural, such as parks and golf courses, and core habitat, or undisturbed areas.
    — Eve Bohnett, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of match
Verb
  • That means eliminating Iran's Navy, which is now absolutely destroyed, hurting their Air Force and their missile program at levels never seen before, and annihilating their defense industrial base.
    — James Powel, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
  • That means they are left out of state cost-cap bills.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of mean
Verb
  • But the behavioral parallels to vertebrate REM sleep are striking.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Speaking to adult-industry stakeholders, the image that emerges from Radvinsky’s career parallels that of a much more prominent online platform billionaire.
    — Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of parallel

Browse Nearby Words

equable
equal
equaled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Equal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equal. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on equal

Nglish: Translation of equal for Spanish Speakers

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