equivalent 1 of 2

Definition of equivalentnext
as in counterpart
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value that huge mansion at the end of the street is the equivalent of five ordinary houses

Synonyms & Similar Words

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equivalent

2 of 2

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How is the word equivalent different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of equivalent are equal, identical, same, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean "not different or not differing from one another," equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

When would equal be a good substitute for equivalent?

While in some cases nearly identical to equivalent, equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

Where would identical be a reasonable alternative to equivalent?

Although the words identical and equivalent have much in common, identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

How are the words same and selfsame related as synonyms of equivalent?

Same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things.

took the same route
derived from the selfsame source

How does the word very relate to other synonyms for equivalent?

Very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of equivalent
Noun
The Balm, $13, is the equivalent of a Vaseline or Aquaphor, a barrier-supporting treatement that targets dryness and irritation of the body, face and fingernails. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026 Yann LeCun won the 2018 Turing Award—computer science’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize—along with fellow AI researchers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio for their work on deep learning, the neural network technology that underpins today’s AI boom. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Adjective
That’s roughly equivalent to the amount of electricity one large new nuclear reactor or three small modular reactors might generate, according to Google and Constellation. — Justine Calma, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026 Food waste is a huge source of methane in Michigan landfills, estimates say, and accounts for millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in the state. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for equivalent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for equivalent
Noun
  • Aside from Rylance, the actors did not meet with their real-life counterparts, and Guadagnino didn’t want to meet them.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The black style’s Orchard Premium counterpart, which features an Apple Green/Apple Green and a style code of JF5453-300, is still expected to arrive at retail in the coming weeks.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Thiessen said those events are not directly comparable to a new baseball stadium, which would host many more games regularly.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That’s harder to find in fashion these days, as the comparable speed of digital culture increases trend turnover and even algorithmic advertising struggles to keep up with what looking empirically cool means.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • This is a season so overwhelmingly dull that it’s taken three different gay guys to recap it.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The new four-page indictment did not add a different type of offense.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Stream, a strategic partner for Talpa Studios, focused on creating formats for the streaming generation, has developed several other titles that are gaining traction in the market.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to presenting partner Amazon Fashion, supporters of the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards include Google Shopping for the American Emerging Designer of the Year Award; MAC Cosmetics, Official Beauty Partner, and Krug, Official Champagne Partner.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • But the less strictly technical procedure Serra describes is analogous to operations at stake in Jonas’s own work, implying that the act of measurement by walking and seeing is tacitly existential.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The senator said the Food and Drug Administration's model of pharmaceutical regulation is analogous to the AI debate.
    — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Anderson of Johns Hopkins has been working with a dozen other researchers, through grants from Arnold Ventures, to study prices more and contemplate state-level legislation that mirrors the CBO’s options.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The incident became even more troubling after reports that models had turned up on a dozen other websites.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The bombers were moved abruptly in response to multiple streams of intelligence warnings, including a threat that the aircraft could be hit in a swarm drone attack similar to one Ukraine launched against Russia in June 2025.
    — Steve Hendrix, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Bellingham has followed a similar trajectory off the pitch, emerging as one of the sport’s most marketable young stars.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The Sounders regained a two-goal advantage in the 83rd minute when substitute Paul Arriola used another assist from Rusnák and one from 20-year-old rookie Sebastian Gomez — his third — to score for the second time this season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Applicants will have to register with the secretary of state, document a threat within the past year and receive a substitute address that government agencies must generally accept.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Equivalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/equivalent. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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