equate

verb

i-ˈkwāt How to pronounce equate (audio)
ˈē-ˌkwāt
equated; equating
Synonyms of equate

transitive verb

1
a
: to make equal : equalize
b
: to make such an allowance or correction in as will reduce to a common standard or obtain a correct result
2
: to treat, represent, or regard as equal, equivalent, or comparable
equates disagreement with disloyalty

intransitive verb

: to correspond as equal

Synonyms of equate

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of equate in a Sentence

You shouldn't equate those two things. a value system that equates money with success
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Given Donalds’ years working in education, equating an assessment with a curriculum is a surprising argument. — Crystal Etienne, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026 Why the burning sensation is not a benefit That sharp alcohol sting many of us learned to equate with efficacy is doing no useful work. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Bob O’Brien, Counterpoint’s research director, also equates Mini LED with FALD. — ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 Its rankings have been criticized for various reasons – including the claim that these rankings equate academic quality with a school’s money. — Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for equate

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin aequatus, past participle of aequare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of equate was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing equate

Rhymes for equate

See All Rhymes for equate

Browse Nearby Words

equatable
equate
equated date
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Equate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equate. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

equate

verb
i-ˈkwāt How to pronounce equate (audio)
equated; equating
: to make or treat as equal or equivalent
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All