Equal

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: e=qual

CIDE DICTIONARY

Equal, a. [L. aequalis, fr. aequus even, equal; akin to Skr. ka, and perh. to L. unus for older oinos one, E. one.].

•  Agreeing in quantity, size, quality, degree, value, etc.; having the same magnitude, the same value, the same degree, etc.; -- applied to number, degree, quantity, and intensity, and to any subject which admits of them; neither inferior nor superior, greater nor less, better nor worse; corresponding; alike; as, equal quantities of land, water, etc. ; houses of equal size; persons of equal stature or talents; commodities of equal value.  [1913 Webster]
•  Bearing a suitable relation; of just proportion; having competent power, abilities, or means; adequate; as, he is not equal to the task.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Scots trusted not their own numbers as equal to fight with the English."  [1913 Webster]

  "It is not permitted to me to make my commendations equal to your merit."  [1913 Webster]

  "Whose voice an equal messenger
  Conveyed thy meaning mild."  [1913 Webster]
•  Not variable; equable; uniform; even; as, an equal movement.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]
•  Evenly balanced; not unduly inclining to either side; characterized by fairness; unbiased; impartial; equitable; just.  [1913 Webster]

  "Are not my ways equal?"  [1913 Webster]

  "Thee, O Jove, no equal judge I deem."  [1913 Webster]

  "Nor think it equal to answer deliberate reason with sudden heat and noise."  [1913 Webster]
•  Of the same interest or concern; indifferent.  [1913 Webster]

  "They who are not disposed to receive them may let them alone or reject them; it is equal to me."  [1913 Webster]
•  Intended for voices of one kind only, either all male or all female; -- opposed to mixed.  [1913 Webster]
•  Exactly agreeing with respect to quantity.  [1913 Webster]

Equal temperament. (Mus.) See Temperament.

Syn. -- Even; equable; uniform; adequate; proportionate; commensurate; fair; just; equitable.

Equal, n. 

•  One not inferior or superior to another; one having the same or a similar age, rank, station, office, talents, strength, or other quality or condition; an equal quantity or number; as, “If equals be taken from equals the remainders are equal.”  [1913 Webster]

  "Those who were once his equals envy and defame him."  [1913 Webster]
•  State of being equal; equality.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

Equal, v. t. 

•  To be or become equal to; to have the same quantity, the same value, the same degree or rank, or the like, with; to be commen1913 Webster]

  "On me whose all not equals Edward's moiety."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make equal return to; to recompense fully.  [1913 Webster]

  "Who answered all her cares, and equaled all her love."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make equal or equal to; to equalize; hence, to compare or regard as equals; to put on equality.  [1913 Webster]

  "He would not equal the mind that he found in himself to the infinite and incomprehensible."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Equal, adj., n., & v.
--adj.
1 (often foll. by to, with) the same in quantity, quality, size, degree, rank, level, etc.
2 evenly balanced (an equal contest).
3 having the same rights or status (human beings are essentially equal).
4 uniform in application or effect.
--n. a person or thing equal to another, esp. in rank, status, or characteristic quality (their treatment of the subject has no equal; is the equal of any man).
--v.tr. (equalled, equalling; US equaled, equaling)
1 be equal to in number, quality, etc.
2 achieve something that is equal to (an achievement) or to the achievement of (a person).

Idiom

be equal to have the ability or resources for. equal opportunity (often in pl.) the opportunity or right to be employed, paid, etc., without discrimination on grounds of sex, race, etc. equal (or equals) sign the symbol =.

Etymology

ME f. L aequalis f. aequus even

THESAURUS

Equal

accord, accordant, agent, agree, aligned, alike, alter ego, alternate, alternative, amount to, analogous, analogy, approach, at par, au pair, automatic, backup, balance, balanced, be parallel, beat, break even, brother, capable of, challenge comparison, change, changeable, changeling, coequal, coextend, coextending, coextensive, coincident, coincidental, coinciding, collateral, colleague, come to, come up to, commensurable, commensurate, commutable, commutative, comparable, compare, comparison, compeer, competitor, concurrent, congruent, congruous, consistent, consonant, constant, continuous, convertible, coordinate, copy, correspond, correspond to, correspondent, corresponding, coterminous, counterfeit, counterpart, deputy, dispassionate, distributional, distributive, ditto, double, draw, drawn, dummy, duplicate, emulate, equable, equal to, equalize, equalized, equalizing, equidistant, equilateral, equipollent, equispaced, equitable, equivalent, ersatz, eurythmic, even, even off, even stephen, exchange, exchanged, fair, fake, fellow, fifty-fifty, fill-in, finished, flat, ghost, ghostwriter, give-and-take, go alongside, go beside, half, half-and-half, halvers, harmonious, homogeneous, identic, identical, imitation, immutable, impartial, indistinguishable, interchangeable, interchanged, invariable, just, keep pace with, knot, knotted, level, like, lined up, locum tenens, makeshift, match, match up with, matching, mate, measure up, measure up to, measured, mechanical, meet, metaphor, methodic, metonymy, monolithic, mutual, next best thing, nip and tuck, nonconvergent, nondivergent, objective, of a piece, on a footing, on a level, on a par, on even ground, opposite number, ordered, orderly, par, parallel, parallelepipedal, parallelinervate, paralleling, parallelodrome, parallelogrammatic, parallelogrammic, parallelotropic, partake of, particular, peer, per capita, per head, permutable, persistent, personnel, phony, pinch hitter, pro rata, proportional, proportionate, proportioned, prorated, proxy, quits, reach, reciprocal, reciprocating, reciprocative, regular, relief, replacement, representative, reserves, respective, retaliatory, returnable, ringer, rival, robotlike, run abreast, run parallel, run to, second string, secondary, selfsame, several, sign, similar, smooth, spares, square, square with, stable, stack up with, stalemated, stand-in, standard, steadfast, steady, sub, substituent, substitute, substitution, succedaneum, superseder, supplanter, surrogate, swapped, switched, symbol, symmetric, symmetrical, synecdoche, synonymous, systematic, tally, tally with, tantamount, third string, tie, tied, token, top, touch, traded, transposed, twin, unbiased, unbroken, unchangeable, unchanged, unchanging, uncolored, understudy, undeviating, undifferentiated, undiversified, uniform, unprejudiced, unruffled, unvaried, unvarying, up to, utility player, vicar, vice-president, vice-regent, vie, vie with, well-balanced, well-set, well-set-up, without distinction

ROGET THESAURUS

Equal

Equality

N equality, parity, coextension, symmetry, balance, poise, evenness, monotony, level, equivalence, equipollence, equipoise, equilibrium, equiponderance, par, quits, a wash, not a pin to choose, distinction without a difference, six of one and half a dozen of the other, tweedle dee and tweedle dum, identity, similarity, equalization, equation, equilibration, co-ordination, adjustment, readjustment, drawn game, drawn battle, neck and neck race, tie, draw, standoff, dead heat, match, peer, compeer, equal, mate, fellow, brother, equivalent, equal, even, level, monotonous, coequal, symmetrical, coordinate, on a par with, on a level with, on a footing with, up to the mark, equiparant, equivalent, tantamount, indistinguishable, quits, homologous, synonymous, resolvable into, convertible, much at one, as broad as long, neither more nor less, much the same as, the same thing as, as good as, all one, all the same, equipollent, equiponderant, equiponderous, equibalanced, equalized, drawn, half and half, isochronal, isochronous isoperimetric, isoperimetrical, isobath, isobathic, equally, pari passu, ad eundum, caeteris paribus, in equilibrio, to all intents and purposes, it comes to the same thing, it amounts to the same thing, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gande, equality, parity, coextension, symmetry, balance, poise, evenness, monotony, level, equivalence, equipollence, equipoise, equilibrium, equiponderance, par, quits, a wash, not a pin to choose, distinction without a difference, six of one and half a dozen of the other, tweedle dee and tweedle dum, identity, similarity, equalization, equation, equilibration, co-ordination, adjustment, readjustment, drawn game, drawn battle, neck and neck race, tie, draw, standoff, dead heat, match, peer, compeer, equal, mate, fellow, brother, equivalent, equal, even, level, monotonous, coequal, symmetrical, coordinate, on a par with, on a level with, on a footing with, up to the mark, equiparant, equivalent, tantamount, indistinguishable, quits, homologous, synonymous, resolvable into, convertible, much at one, as broad as long, neither more nor less, much the same as, the same thing as, as good as, all one, all the same, equipollent, equiponderant, equiponderous, equibalanced, equalized, drawn, half and half, isochronal, isochronous isoperimetric, isoperimetrical, isobath, isobathic, equally, pari passu, ad eundum, caeteris paribus, in equilibrio, to all intents and purposes, it comes to the same thing, it amounts to the same thing, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gande.

VB be equal, equal, match, reach, keep pace with, run abreast, come to, amount to, come up to, be on a level with, lie on a level with, balance, cope with, come to the same thing, render equal, equalize level, dress, balance, equate, handicap, give points, spot points, handicap, trim, adjust, poise, fit, accommodate, adapt, strike a balance, establish equality, restore equality, restore equilibrium, readjust, stretch on the bed of Procrustes.

Symmetry

N symmetry, shapeliness, finish, beauty, proportion, eurythmy, uniformity, parallelism, bilateral symmetry, trilateral symmetry, multilateral symmetry, centrality, arborescence, branching, ramification, arbor vitae, symmetrical, shapely, well set, finished, beautiful, classic, chaste, severe, regular, uniform, balanced, equal, parallel, coextensive, arborescent, arboriform, dendriform, dendroid, branching, ramous, ramose, filiciform, filicoid, subarborescent, papilionaceous, fuji-shaped, fujigata.

Right

N right, what ought to be, what should be, fitness, summum jus, justice, equity, equitableness, propriety, fair play, impartiality, measure for measure, give and take, lex talionis, Astraea, Nemesis, Themis, scales of justice, evenhanded justice, karma, suum cuique, clear stage, fair field and no favor, level playing field, morals, law, honor, virtue, right, good, just, reasonable, fit, equal, equable, equatable, evenhanded, fair, legitimate, justifiable, rightful, as it should be, as it ought to be, lawful deserved, rightly, +a bon droit, au bon droit, in justice, in equity, in reason, without distinction of persons, without regard to persons, without respect to persons, upon even terms, Int, all right!, fair's fair, Dieu et mon droit, in equal scale weighing delight and dole, justitia cuum cuique distribuit, justitiae soror incorrupta fides, justitia virtutem regina, thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just.