What does "equivalent" mean?
Anything that is virtually equal to something else, or has the same value, force, etc.
Equivalent
/ɪˈkwɪvələnt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Anything that is virtually equal to something else, or has the same value, force, etc.
- Grammar: equivalent is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accordant, actual thing, affirmative, agent.
- Useful contrasts: incomparable, different, distinct.
- Usage evidence: That Japanese word has no equivalent in English.
How to use "equivalent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "equivalent" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "equivalent" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "equivalent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "equivalent" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "equivalent" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accordant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "equivalent", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Anything that is virtually equal to something else, or has the same value, force, etc.
"He owned that, if the Test Act were repealed, the Protestants were entitled to an equivalent, and went so far as to suggest several equivalents."
- 2 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 wordnet
- 3 An equivalent weight.
- 4 a person or thing equal to another in value or measure or force or effect or significance etc wordnet
Verb
- 1 To make equivalent to; to equal. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Similar or identical in value, meaning or effect; virtually equal.
"To burn calories, a thirty-minute jog is equivalent to a couple of hamburgers."
- 2 Of two sets, having a one-to-one correspondence.
"All enumerable sets are equivalent to each other, but not to any finite set."
- 3 Relating to the corresponding elements of an equivalence relation.
- 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.
- 5 Having the equal ability to combine.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Of a map, equal-area.
- 7 Equal in measure but not admitting of superposition; applied to magnitudes.
"A square may be equivalent to a triangle."
Adjective
- 1 being essentially equal to something wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"That Japanese word has no equivalent in English."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "equivalent"?
Common synonyms include: accordant, actual thing, affirmative, agent, agnate, agreeable.
How do you use "equivalent" in a sentence?
That Japanese word has no equivalent in English.
How do you pronounce "equivalent"?
Pronounced /ɪˈkwɪvələnt/.
Etymology
From Latin aequivalentem, accusative singular of aequivalēns, present active participle of aequivaleō (“I am equivalent, have equal power”). By surface analysis, equi- + -valent.