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

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
To enroll in the HVAC/R technician program, students must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent, such as a GED. Sarah Moreno may 1, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026 Erika Cheng, a professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine, called the concept that juice is nutritionally equivalent to whole fruit a common misconception. Gavin Escott, USA Today, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for equivalent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivalent
Noun
  • Their Democratic counterparts have often lagged in comparison.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
  • Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi pressed his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and refrain from resuming hostilities during a meeting in Beijing.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 7 May 2026
Adjective
  • Teamsters Local 727, which represents animal care specialists, groundskeepers, patrol officers, seasonals, aides, and custodians, said the zoo's latest contract offer would take away their current health care plans without providing a comparable alternative.
    Todd Feurer, CBS News, 4 May 2026
  • The idea is to deal with a heavily armored or deeply buried target by dropping a bomb that is hard enough and heavy enough to plunge through yards of earth and stone to deliver a staggering blast comparable to a seismic event.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 May 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
  • That decision puts at risk both of the majority-Black districts in Louisiana of being eliminated in the redrawing, as well as majority-minority districts in other states.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 5 May 2026
  • The chain eventually expanded to other nameplates — Banana Republic and Old Navy — and now generates more than $15 billion in sales globally.
    Anne D'Innocenzio, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
Adjective
  • Many of the precautions a traveler could take are similar to those that became familiar at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 8 May 2026
  • Nationally, campuses including Harvard, Duke and the University of Pennsylvania reported similar outages.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Adjective
  • Take away the competition, substitute bureaucrats for private ownership, and the mess starts.
    Star Parker, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
  • The district deployed more than 2,600 substitute teachers and about 940 substitute educational support professionals to fill in at 76 schools.
    Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Equivalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivalent. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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