equal

Definition

The same in one or more respects.

Etymology

From Middle English equal, from Latin aequālis. Doublet of aequalis and egal.

Example Sentences

• "Near-synonyms: equivalent; see also Thesaurus:equal"
• "Dr. [Eugenia] Cheng's latest book, Unequal: The Math of When Things Do and Don’t Add Up, is all about equations and will be released in the United States on Tuesday. But it is more than a regurgitation of the many formulas you may recall learning in high school. In the book, Dr. Cheng argues that an equation — in its barest sense, a declaration that two things are equal — can be a profound statement on the choices we make about what is or is not the same. For example, 2 × 3 may equal 3 × 2. But two packs of three cookies each is distinct from three packs of two cookies each. A cube drawn face-on versus from one edge looks different, though we understand the two shapes to be the same. "Almost everything can be considered equal and unequal at the same time," Dr. Cheng wrote. "And it's up to us what we do about it.""
• "We hold that all men are created equal and are thus equal under the law."

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