functional equivalence

Meanings

1. 1noununcountabletechnical

   The state in which two things serve the same purpose or have the same effect, even if they are different in form.

   Grammar: Usually used after 'of' or 'between': the functional equivalence of two systems.

   Patterns

   • functional equivalence of something
   • functional equivalence between something and something
   • achieve functional equivalence

   The two software systems show functional equivalence: both let users send messages, but their code is completely different.

   In legal translation, functional equivalence means the translated term has the same legal effect as the original.

   The study compared the functional equivalence of the two teaching methods.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   In translation studies, the quality of a translation that produces the same response in the target reader as the original did in its reader.

   Grammar: Often used with 'dynamic' as an older term: dynamic equivalence.

   Patterns

   • functional equivalence in translation
   • achieve functional equivalence
   • theory of functional equivalence

   The translator aimed for functional equivalence rather than a word-for-word rendering.

   Functional equivalence is difficult when the source text contains a cultural joke that the target language has no equivalent for.

   Her thesis explores functional equivalence in the translation of legal contracts.

Common combinations

achieve functional equivalence

The engineers worked to achieve functional equivalence between the old and new machines.

functional equivalence of

The functional equivalence of the two drugs was tested in a clinical trial.

functional equivalence between

There is a rough functional equivalence between the two job titles in different companies.

theory of functional equivalence

The theory of functional equivalence was developed by translation scholars in the 1960s.

Synonyms and how they differ

dynamic equivalence

An older term in translation studies that focuses on the same effect on the reader; it is now less common than functional equivalence.

equivalence

A broader word meaning 'the same value or meaning'; functional equivalence specifically adds the idea of purpose or function, not just identity.

Word family

functionally equivalent adjective

Describing two things that serve the same purpose.

Commonly confused: functional equivalence or formal equivalence?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “functional equivalence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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