Standard Lemma guide

equivalent

adj · noun · verb · 13 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.

  • /ɪˈkwɪvələnt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 K W IH1 V AH0 L AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Similar or identical in value, meaning or effect; virtually equal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • To burn calories, a thirty-minute jog is equivalent to a couple of hamburgers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: on a par, equipollent

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of two sets, having a one-to-one correspondence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: equinumerous

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: category-theory, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Having the equal ability to combine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Of a map, equal-area.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: cartography, geography, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

Equal in measure but not admitting of superposition; applied to magnitudes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geometry, mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • A square may be equivalent to a triangle.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Anything that is virtually equal to something else, or has the same value, force, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

An equivalent weight.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To make equivalent to; to equal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

being essentially equal to something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it was as good as gold
  • a wish that was equivalent to a command
  • his statement was tantamount to an admission of guilt

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tantamount(p)

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

the atomic weight of an element that has the same combining capacity as a given weight of another element; the standard is 8 for oxygen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: equivalent weight, combining weight, eq

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: atomic mass, atomic weight, relative atomic mass

13

noun

Meaning 13

a person or thing equal to another in value or measure or force or effect or significance etc

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • send two dollars or the equivalent in stamps

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cognition, knowledge, noesis

Narrower terms: counterpart, opposite number, vis-a-vis, substitute, replacement

History

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).

Across languages

Translations

123 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: համարժեք (hamaržekʻ) — similar or identical in value
  • Belarusian: раўнава́ртасны (rawnavártasny) — similar or identical in value
  • Belarusian: раўнацэ́нны (rawnacénny) — similar or identical in value
  • Belarusian: эквівале́нтны (ekvivaljéntny) — similar or identical in value
  • Bulgarian: равносто́ен (ravnostóen) — similar or identical in value
  • Bulgarian: еквивале́нтен (ekvivalénten) — similar or identical in value
  • Catalan: equivalent — similar or identical in value
  • Chinese Mandarin: 等值 (děngzhí) — similar or identical in value
  • Czech: ekvivalentní — similar or identical in value
  • Dutch: gelijkwaardig — similar or identical in value
  • Esperanto: ekvivalenta — similar or identical in value
  • Finnish: samanlainen — similar or identical in value
  • Finnish: vastaava — similar or identical in value
  • French: équivalent — similar or identical in value
  • Galician: equivalente — similar or identical in value
  • Georgian: თანაბარფასიანი (tanabarpasiani) — similar or identical in value
  • Georgian: ტოლფასიანი (ṭolpasiani) — similar or identical in value
  • Georgian: თანაბარღირებული (tanabarɣirebuli) — similar or identical in value
  • Georgian: ეკვივალენტური (eḳvivalenṭuri) — similar or identical in value
  • Georgian: თანაბარმნიშვნელოვანი (tanabarmnišvnelovani) — similar or identical in value
  • Georgian: თანაბარძალიანი (tanabarʒaliani) — similar or identical in value
  • German: gleichwertig — similar or identical in value
  • German: entsprechend — similar or identical in value
  • German: äquivalent — similar or identical in value
  • Greek: ισοδύναμος (isodýnamos) — similar or identical in value
  • Hindi: समान (samān) — similar or identical in value
  • Hindi: बराबर (barābar) — similar or identical in value
  • Hungarian: egyenértékű — similar or identical in value
  • Hungarian: ekvivalens — similar or identical in value
  • Irish: comhionann — similar or identical in value
  • Italian: equivalente — similar or identical in value
  • Japanese: 等価な (tōka na) — similar or identical in value
  • Korean: 동등하다 (dongdeunghada) — similar or identical in value
  • Latvian: līdzvērtīgs — similar or identical in value
  • Māori: taurite — similar or identical in value
  • Māori: hāngaitanga — similar or identical in value
  • Occitan: equivalent — similar or identical in value
  • Persian: برابر (barâbar) — similar or identical in value
  • Persian: هامال (hâmâl) — similar or identical in value
  • Polish: równoważny — similar or identical in value
  • Polish: ekwiwalentny — similar or identical in value
  • Polish: odpowiedni — similar or identical in value
  • Polish: odpowiadający — similar or identical in value
  • Portuguese: equivalente — similar or identical in value
  • Romanian: echivalent — similar or identical in value
  • Russian: равноце́нный (ravnocénnyj) — similar or identical in value
  • Russian: эквивале́нтный (ekvivaléntnyj) — similar or identical in value
  • Spanish: equivalente — similar or identical in value
  • Swedish: ekvivalent — similar or identical in value
  • Swedish: likvärdig — similar or identical in value
  • Tagalog: katumbas — similar or identical in value
  • Tagalog: kapareho — similar or identical in value
  • Tagalog: kapantay — similar or identical in value
  • Tagalog: katimbang — similar or identical in value
  • Telugu: సమానము (samānamu) — similar or identical in value
  • Turkish: muadil — similar or identical in value
  • Turkish: eşdeğer — similar or identical in value
  • Ukrainian: рівноці́нний (rivnocínnyj) — similar or identical in value
  • Ukrainian: еквівале́нтний (ekvivaléntnyj) — similar or identical in value
  • Chinese Mandarin: 等价的 — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • Finnish: ekvivalentti — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • Finnish: yhtäpitävä — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • French: équivalent — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • German: äquivalent — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • Hungarian: ekvivalens — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • Portuguese: equivalente — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • Romanian: echivalent — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • Spanish: equivalente — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • Tagalog: kahalga — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • Telugu: సమానము (samānamu) — of two sets, having a one-to-one relationship
  • Azerbaijani: ekvivalent — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Azerbaijani: eynigüclü — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Bulgarian: еквивале́нтен (ekvivalénten) — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Finnish: ekvivalentti — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Finnish: yhtäpitävä — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • French: équivalent — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • German: äquivalent — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Japanese: 相当な (sōtō na) — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Persian: همارز (ham-arz) — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Portuguese: equivalente — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Russian: эквивале́нтный (ekvivaléntnyj) — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Swedish: ekvivalent — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Telugu: సమానము (samānamu) — relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation
  • Albanian: njëvlerës — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Armenian: համարժեք (hamaržekʻ) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Belarusian: эквівале́нт (ekvivaljént) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Bulgarian: еквивале́нт (ekvivalént) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Catalan: equivalent — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Chinese Mandarin: 當量 /当量 (dāngliáng) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Czech: ekvivalent — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Danish: ækvivalent — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Finnish: vastine — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • French: équivalent — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Georgian: ეკვივალენტი (eḳvivalenṭi) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • German: Entsprechung — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • German: Äquivalent — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Hungarian: megfelelő — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Hungarian: ekvivalens — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Irish: luach-chomaoin — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Japanese: 等価物 (tōkabutsu) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Korean: 등가물 (deunggamul) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Lithuanian: atitikmuo — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ekvivalent — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ekvivalent — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Persian: همسنگ — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Persian: برابر — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Polish: odpowiednik — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Polish: równoznacznik — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Polish: zamiennik — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Portuguese: equivalente — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Russian: эквивале́нт (ekvivalént) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Scottish Gaelic: leithid — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Serbo-Croatian: еквива̀лент — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Serbo-Croatian: ekvivàlent — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Spanish: equivalente — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Swedish: ekvivalent — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Swedish: motsvarighet — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Tagalog: kahalga — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Tagalog: katumbas — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Turkish: eş değer — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Ottoman Turkish: عوض (ʼivâz) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Ukrainian: відпові́дник (vidpovídnyk) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
  • Ukrainian: еквівале́нт (ekvivalént) — anything that is virtually equal to something else
Real reading context

equivalent in complete knowledge articles