Meaning & use
equate
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To treat or consider one thing as being the same as or equal to another.
Grammar: Takes an object plus with: equate wealth with happiness.
Patterns
- equate something with something
- equate something to something
Many people equate success with money.
Don't equate silence with agreement.
Some drivers equate speed with skill.
verbintransitiveformal
To be equal or equivalent to something.
Grammar: Followed by to or with: this equates to ten dollars an hour.
Patterns
- equate to something
- equate with something
Two hundred calories equates to a short run.
The fee equates to about five percent of the price.
Does effort always equate with results?
verbtransitivetechnicalmathematics
To make or state that two things are equal, especially in mathematics.
Grammar: Used mainly in technical writing.
Patterns
- equate A and B
- equate something to zero
To solve the problem, equate the two expressions.
Equate the formula to zero and solve for x.
The scientist equated mass and energy in her model.
Word forms
| third person singular | equates |
|---|---|
| past tense | equated |
| past participle | equated |
| -ing form | equating |
Common combinations
- equate with
- Don't equate price with quality.
- equate to
- This equates to a small raise.
- wrongly equate
- Some people wrongly equate quiet with weakness.
- equate success with
- He equates success with happiness.
- simply equate
- We cannot simply equate the two situations.
Synonyms and how they differ
- identify
- Identify with means feel close to or see yourself in, while equate means treat as the same.
- compare
- Compare only looks at likeness and difference, while equate says they are equal.
- associate
- Associate suggests a mental connection and not equality.
- correspond
- Correspond suggests matching parts, not identity.
Opposites
Word family
- equation noun
- a statement that two things are equal
- equal adjective
- the same in size or value
- equality noun
- the state of being equal
- equivalent adjective
- equal in value or effect
- equator noun
- imaginary line around the middle of the Earth
Commonly confused: equate or equal?
equate vs equal
Equal is the adjective or the verb meaning to be the same as. Equate means to treat as the same.
Practice
Many people mistakenly ___ being busy with being productive.
Choose one answer.
Equate X with Y means treat them as the same. Equal as a verb is not followed by with.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “equate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.