equal

Word family  noun equality ≠ inequality equal equalizer adjective equal ≠ unequal verb equalize equal adverb equally ≠ unequally

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Maths, Numbers

e·qual1 /ˈiːkwəl/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective  1  same 相同EQUAL the same in size, number, amount, value etc as something else 〔在大小、数字、数量、价值等方面〕相等的，相同的 → equivalentequal number/amount (of something) Both candidates received an equal number of votes. 两位候选人的得票数相等。(of) equal value/importance They believe that all work is of equal value. 他们认为一切工作都有同等价值。equal in size/length/height etc 大小/长度/高度等相等的 The two towns are roughly equal in size. 这两个城镇的大小差不多。of equal size/length/height etc 大小/长度/高度等相等的equal to The rent was equal to half his monthly income. 这租金相当于他半个月的收入。► see thesaurus at same2  same rights/chances 同等权利/机会EQUALRIGHT/HAVE THE RIGHT TO having the same rights, opportunities etc as everyone else, whatever your race, religion, or sex 平等的 Our constitution states that all men are equal. 我们的宪法规定人人平等。 Our education system should provide equal opportunities for all children. 我们的教育制度应该为所有儿童提供平等的机会。 The government is committed to achieving equal rights for women. 政府承诺要为妇女争取平等的权利。3  be equal to something EQUAL a) to have the ability to deal with a problem, piece of work etc successfully 能胜任某事，能应付难题[任务等] SYN be up to I’m not sure he’s equal to the task. 我不确定他是否能胜任这项任务。 Are you equal to this challenge? 你能应付这项挑战吗？ b) to be as good as something else 与某物同样出色，比得上某物 The architecture here is equal to any in the world. 这里的建筑堪与世界上任何建筑媲美。4  on equal terms/on an equal footing EQUALwith neither side having any advantage over the other 地位平等，互不占优 This law will help small businesses to compete on equal terms with large multinational corporations. 这项法规有助于小公司与跨国大公司展开平等的竞争。5  all (other) things being equal spokenNORMAL if things are as you normally expect them to be 如果所有(其他)条件相同 All things being equal, a small car will cost less than a larger one. 在同等的条件下，小汽车要比大一点的汽车便宜。n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: the same in size, number, amount, value etc as something elseadverbsexactly equalThe food is shared out in exactly equal portions among all members of the community.roughly/approximately equalThe number of buyers and sellers must be roughly equal before trading begins.about/almost equalThey are about equal in height and weight.nounsan equal number/amountBoth candidates received an equal number of votes.phrasesbe of equal size/length/height etcDraw two lines of equal length.be equal in size/length/height etcThe population of each town is roughly equal in size.be equal in valueYour pension will be equal in value to two thirds of your final year salary.be equal in number/numbersIn higher education, women are equal in numbers to men.of equal value/importanceHe is remembered for his novels, but his scientific work is of equal importance.n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: having the same rights, opportunities etc as everyone else, whatever your race, religion, or sexnounsequal rightsIn many countries, women do not have equal rights with men.equal opportunitiesThe government must make sure that all children have equal opportunities in education.equal payThe workers’ demands include equal pay for equal work.equal access (=the same right to do or receive something)The law states that disabled people must have equal access to employment.equal treatmentEveryone should get equal treatment under the law.phrasesbe born equalIt is a myth that all men are born equal.be created equalThey believe that everyone is created equal by God.

Examples from the Corpus

equal• Democracy is based on the idea that all members of society are equal.• The Declaration of Independence says that all men are created equal.• You should spend an equal amount of time on each question in the test.• Two quantities can only be equal if they contain the same powers of space, time and mass.• In Western countries, parents are likely to want about equal numbers of sons and daughters.• Companies are being urged to do more to promote equal opportunities in the workplace.• We are equal partners in the business.• Divide the dough into three equal parts.• The Treaty of Rome states that men and women shall receive equal pay for equal work.• Black protestors campaigned for equal rights throughout the 1960s.• When facing an opponent of equal strength, Barker's speed gives her a big advantage.• I tended to treat people more as equals than I should have-equal time, equal help...• Initially, in the 1970s the distribution of female earnings had been much more equal than that of men.• A pint is equal to about half a litre.• The light produced was equal to that from a medium sized candle.• The alcohol in a pint of beer is equal to that in two glasses of wine.• The distance between A and B in the diagram is equal to the diameter of the circle, C.• As this happens, the demand for money increases and eventually becomes equal to the money supply again.• Dilute the syrup with an equal volume of water, stir and serve with ice.• Choose two stones of roughly equal weight and size.• Evaluate the following portfolio using equal weights.equal number/amount (of something)• While a few felt that the social workers, were helpful and supportive an equal number considered them to be patronizing and authoritarian.• Cases of equal numbers of additions to each area and all additions concentrated in a few areas are depicted schematically in Fig. 7.9.• Foster's office bookcase contains about equal numbers of books on chemistry and on accountancy.• A new civilian police force has been created, with equal numbers of ex-soldiers and ex-guerrillas in its ranks.• Put equal amounts of ice in the two glasses and sprinkle two teaspoonfuls of salt over the ice in one glass.• An equal amount of injury might have happened at a football match but that was beside the point.• In Western countries, parents are likely to want about equal numbers of sons and daughters.• Minor borders Smaller, supplementary borders, usually arrange in equal numbers on either side of the main border.equal opportunities• Do they grow up with equal opportunities?• He also dealt with the issues of multicultural education and equal opportunities.• The second dimension implies the need for self-conscious implementation of equal opportunities and the questioning and revision of routine practices.• How this study may contribute to theoretical and empirical work both on equal opportunities and the study of management and organisations.• Since Partnerships have a responsibility to achieve equal opportunities for all young people, community organisations should participate at the planning stage.• Only in a completely classless society can there be equal opportunities for everyone.• Every Whitehall Department now has a nominated Minister who is specifically responsible for promoting equal opportunities in public appointments.• Certain jobs were dominated by men until the equal opportunities legislation of the 1970s.• These will cover areas such as equal opportunities, multi-cultural education, cross-curricular themes, competences and dimensions and special needs.• Our college, and authority, now has an equal opportunities policy document.

Related topics: Maths, Numbers

equal2 ●●○ S3 W3 verb (equalled, equalling British English, equaled, equaling American English)  1  [linking verb]EQUAL to be exactly the same in size, number, or amount as something else 〔在大小、数字、数量上〕等于，与…相同 Two plus two equals four. 二加二等于四。 Prices become more stable when supply equals demand. 供需相当时价格就变得较为稳定。2  [transitive]EQUAL to be as good as something else, or get to the same standard as someone or something else 比得上；达到 Thompson equalled the world record. 汤普森平了世界纪录。3  be equalled (only) by something used to say that two things are as strong or as important as each other (只有)某事物才能匹敌 Her distaste for books was equalled only by her dislike of people. 她讨厌书，其程度之深只有她对人的厌恶可以相比。4  [transitive]EFFECT/INFLUENCE to produce a particular result or effect 产生，得出〔特定结果或效果〕 A highly-trained workforce equals high productivity. 训练有素的劳动力能创造高生产力。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

equal• Air pressure at sea level equals 1.03kg per square centimetre.• Among young homeowners, the mortgage debt typically equals 78 percent of the house value.• According to the first figures available, it is estimated that the national bank's exchange reserves equal a month's imports.• It's so peculiar to think that you plus wife equals a new human being.• The average retired worker gets $720 a month in benefits, which equals about 42% of earnings before retirement.• Americans are finding out the hard way that drug possession equals jail in foreign countries.• Three plus three equals six.• The most efficient basis for the trade of goods is when demand equals supply.• Butcher will attempt to equal Swenson's win record.• But also by 1967, expenditure on education had for the first time in history equalled that on defence.• It usually equals the atmospheric pressure.• Also, when profits are driven down to zero, the degree of monopoly power equals the degree of economies of scale.equal3 ●○○ noun [countable]  1  EQUALsomeone who is as important, intelligent etc as you are, or who has the same rights and opportunities as you do 同等的人 He treats all his staff as equals. 他对所有员工都一视同仁。 a friendship between equals 同等者之间的友谊equal in She wasn’t his equal in intelligence. 在智力上，她没法和他相比。2  be the equal of somebody/something to be as good as someone or something else 比得上某人/某事 The company proved to be the equal of its US rivals. 事实证明该公司可与其美国竞争对手抗衡。3  be without equal  (also have no equal) formalBEST to be better than everyone or everything else of the same type 最杰出，首屈一指 His paintings are without equal. 他的画无与伦比。

Examples from the Corpus

equal• But Aggie was first among equals.• It started with Milken growing angry because Gutfreund refused to speak to him as an equal.• The police have a duty to treat all members of the community as equals.• Mutual respect grows out of exchanges between individuals considered as equals.• My boss treats her employees as equals.• Northern Ireland Conservatives might expect to be treated as equals.• Criticism, I take it, is an activity that occurs between equals, whatever its object.• Should you not claim to be at least his equal in prowess, and act upon the claim?• Hence OCy equals home consumption of food, and OCx equals home consumption of manufactured products.• Most women these days want marriage to be a partnership of equals.Origin equal1 (1300-1400) Latin aequalis, from aequus “level, equal”

e·qual1 adjective →n COLLOCATIONS1 →n COLLOCATIONS2equal2 verbequal3 nounLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable  

same in amount, size, number, Corpus the

equal

I

e‧qual¹ S1 W2 /ˈiːkwəl/ adjective1.  SAME the same in size, number, amount, value etc as something else ⇨ equivalent
    equal number/amount (of something)
    Both candidates received an equal number of votes.
    (of) equal value/importance
    They believe that all work is of equal value.
    equal in size/length/height etc
    The two towns are roughly equal in size.
    of equal size/length/height etc
    equal to
    The rent was equal to half his monthly income.
2.  SAME RIGHTS/CHANCES having the same rights, opportunities etc as everyone else, whatever your race, religion, or sex:
    Our constitution states that all men are equal.
    Our education system should provide equal opportunities for all children.
    The government is committed to achieving equal rights for women.
3. be equal to something
  a. to have the ability to deal with a problem, piece of work etc successfully
   SYN  be up to:
    I’m not sure he’s equal to the task.
    Are you equal to this challenge?
  b. to be as good as something else:
    The architecture here is equal to any in the world.
4. on equal terms/on an equal footing with neither side having any advantage over the other:
    This law will help small businesses to compete on equal terms with large multinational corporations.
5. all (other) things being equal spoken if things are as you normally expect them to be:
    All things being equal, a small car will cost less than a larger one.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 1)

■ adverbs
   ▪ exactly equal The food is shared out in exactly equal portions among all members of the community.
   ▪ roughly/approximately equal The number of buyers and sellers must be roughly equal before trading begins.
   ▪ about/almost equal They are about equal in height and weight.
■ nouns
   ▪ an equal number/amount Both candidates received an equal number of votes.
■ phrases
   ▪ be of equal size/length/height etc Draw two lines of equal length.
   ▪ be equal in size/length/height etc The population of each town is roughly equal in size.
   ▪ be equal in value Your pension will be equal in value to two thirds of your final year salary.
   ▪ be equal in number/numbers In higher education, women are equal in numbers to men.
   ▪ of equal value/importance He is remembered for his novels, but his scientific work is of equal importance.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ nouns
   ▪ equal rights In many countries, women do not have equal rights with men.
   ▪ equal opportunities The government must make sure that all children have equal opportunities in education.
   ▪ equal pay The workers’ demands include equal pay for equal work.
   ▪ equal access (=the same right to do or receive something) The law states that disabled people must have equal access to employment.
   ▪ equal treatment Everyone should get equal treatment under the law.
■ phrases
   ▪ be born equal It is a myth that all men are born equal.
   ▪ be created equal They believe that everyone is created equal by God.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ the same used to say that two people, things, events etc are exactly like each other: The houses on the street all look the same. | They were doing the same jobs as the men, but being paid less.
   ▪ just like/exactly like especially spoken used to say that there is very little difference between two people, things etc: He’s just like his father. | There are insects that look exactly like green leaves.
   ▪ identical identical things are exactly the same in every way: The tablets were identical in size, shape, and colour. | identical names
   ▪ indistinguishable two things that are indistinguishable are so similar that it is impossible to know which is which or to see any differences between them: The copy was indistinguishable from the original painting.
   ▪ equal two or more amounts, totals, levels etc that are equal are the same as each other: Spend an equal amount of time on each essay question.
   ▪ be no different from somebody/something to be the same, even though you expect them to be different: People often think that movie stars are special, but really they’re no different from anybody else.
   ▪ can’t tell the difference (also can’t tell somebody/something apart) especially spoken if you can’t tell the difference between two people or things, or if you can’t tell them apart, they look, sound, or seem exactly the same to you: Emma and Louise sound so alike on the phone that I can’t tell the difference.

II

equal² S2 verb (past tense and past participle equalled, present participle equalling British English, equaled, equaling American English)1. [linking verb] to be exactly the same in size, number, or amount as something else:
    Two plus two equals four.
    Prices become more stable when supply equals demand.
2. [transitive] to be as good as something else, or get to the same standard as someone or something else:
    Thompson equalled the world record.
3. be equalled (only) by something used to say that two things are as strong or as important as each other:
    Her distaste for books was equalled only by her dislike of people.
4. [transitive] to produce a particular result or effect:
    A highly-trained workforce equals high productivity.

III

equal³ noun [countable]1. someone who is as important, intelligent etc as you are, or who has the same rights and opportunities as you do:
    He treats all his staff as equals.
    a friendship between equals
    equal in
    She wasn’t his equal in intelligence.
2. be the equal of somebody/something to be as good as someone or something else:
    The company proved to be the equal of its US rivals.
3. be without equal (also have no equal) formal to be better than everyone or everything else of the same type:
    His paintings are without equal.