verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈiːkwəlaɪz/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˈikwəˌlaɪz/
CMU ARPABET:IY1 K W AH0 L AY2 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To make equal; to cause to correspond in amount or degree.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to equalize accounts, burdens, or taxes
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To be equal to; to equal, to rival.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To make the scoreline equal by scoring points.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To clear the ears to balance the pressure in the middle ear with the outside pressure by letting air enter along the Eustachian tubes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: equalise, get even
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: score, hit, tally, rack up
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English equal Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English equalize From equal + -ize.
Across languages
Translations
54 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
изравнявам
(izravnjavam)
— to make equal
Catalan:
igualar
— to make equal
Finnish:
tasata
— to make equal
Finnish:
tasapuolistaa
— to make equal
Finnish:
tasa-arvoistaa
— to make equal
French:
égaliser
— to make equal
Galician:
igualar
— to make equal
Galician:
igar
— to make equal
German:
ausgleichen
— to make equal
Greek:
εξισώνω
(exisóno)
— to make equal
Hungarian:
kiegyenlít
— to make equal
Hungarian:
egyensúlyba hoz
— to make equal
Hungarian:
egalizál
— to make equal
Ido:
egaligar
— to make equal
Italian:
uguagliare
— to make equal
Latin:
aequō
— to make equal
Māori:
whakaōrite
— to make equal
Māori:
hōrite
— to make equal
Māori:
whakataurite
— to make equal
Portuguese:
igualar
— to make equal
Russian:
ура́внивать
(urávnivatʹ)
— to make equal
Russian:
уравня́ть
(uravnjátʹ)
— to make equal
Russian:
выра́внивать
(vyrávnivatʹ)
— to make equal
Russian:
вы́ровнять
(výrovnjatʹ)
— to make equal
Spanish:
igualar
— to make equal
Tibetan:
སྙོམ
(snyom)
— to make equal
Ukrainian:
зрівнювати
(zrivnjuvaty)
— to make equal
Ukrainian:
зрівняти
(zrivnjaty)
— to make equal
Ukrainian:
вирі́внювати
(vyrívnjuvaty)
— to make equal
Ukrainian:
ви́рівняти
(výrivnjaty)
— to make equal
Bulgarian:
изравнявам
(izravnjavam)
— to make the score equal
Chinese Mandarin:
均等化
(jūnděnghuà)
— to make the score equal
Chinese Mandarin:
等化
(děnghuà)
— to make the score equal
Chinese Mandarin:
平等化
(píngděnghuà)
— to make the score equal
Finnish:
tasoittaa
— to make the score equal
Finnish:
yhtäläistää
— to make the score equal
Finnish:
yhdenmukaistaa
— to make the score equal
Finnish:
tasapäistää
— to make the score equal
French:
égaliser
— to make the score equal
German:
ausgleichen
— to make the score equal
Hebrew:
השווה
(hishvá)
— to make the score equal
Hungarian:
egyenlít
— to make the score equal
Hungarian:
kiegyenlít
— to make the score equal
Italian:
uguagliare
— to make the score equal
Japanese:
平等にする
(byōdō ni suru)
— to make the score equal
Northern Kurdish:
wekhev kirin
— to make the score equal
Portuguese:
igualar
— to make the score equal
Russian:
выра́внивать
(vyrávnivatʹ)
— to make the score equal
Russian:
вы́ровнять
(výrovnjatʹ)
— to make the score equal
Spanish:
empatar
— to make the score equal
Spanish:
igualar
— to make the score equal
Bulgarian:
изравнявам
(izravnjavam)
— to clear the ears
German:
den Druck im Ohr ausgleichen
— to clear the ears