Equivalent Meaning
/ɪˈkwɪvələnt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjSimilar or identical in value, meaning or effect; virtually equal.
adjOf two sets, having a one-to-one correspondence.
Sentence Examples
That Japanese word has no equivalent in English.
Do you know the French equivalent of the word?
Send €20 or the equivalent in your own currency.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
One dollar is roughly ____ to one euro in terms of purchasing power.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
One gallon of milk is roughly ____ to 3.78 liters in volume.
Word Origin & History
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).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"For now to serve and to minister, servile and ministerial, are terms equivalent."
— 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
"A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place. Applying a force tangential to the knob is essentially equivalent to applying one perpendicular to a radial line defining the lever."
— 2012 March 26, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, pages 112–3:
"Total activity levels in the lowest quartile were equivalent to walking for 49 minutes at roughly 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) per hour daily. Total activity levels in the second-, third- and fourth-highest quartiles were equivalent to 78, 105 and 160 minutes, respectively."
— 2024 November 15, Kristen Rogers, “Want to live an extra 5 to 10 years? Adopt this habit, study suggests”, in CNN, archived from the original on 11 Jul 2025:
"All enumerable sets are equivalent to each other, but not to any finite set."
— 1950, E. Kamke, Theory of Sets, page 16:
"Equivalent sets should, by rights, have the same "number" of elements. For this reason we sometimes say that equivalent sets have the same cardinality."
— 2000, N. L. Carothers, Real Analysis, page 18:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
One dollar is roughly ____ to one euro in terms of purchasing power.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
One gallon of milk is roughly ____ to 3.78 liters in volume.