equal1 adjectiveequal2 verbequal3 noun
equale‧qual1 /ˈiːkwəl/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective 
WORD ORIGINequal1
Origin:
1300-1400 Latin aequalis, from aequus ‘level, equal’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A pint is equal to about half a litre.
- Black protestors campaigned for equal rights throughout the 1960s.
- Choose two stones of roughly equal weight and size.
- Companies are being urged to do more to promote equal opportunities in the workplace.
- Democracy is based on the idea that all members of society are equal.
- Dilute the syrup with an equal volume of water, stir and serve with ice.
- Divide the dough into three equal parts.
- The alcohol in a pint of beer is equal to that in two glasses of wine.
- The Declaration of Independence says that all men are created equal.
- The distance between A and B in the diagram is equal to the diameter of the circle, C.
- The Treaty of Rome states that men and women shall receive equal pay for equal work.
- We are equal partners in the business.
- When facing an opponent of equal strength, Barker's speed gives her a big advantage.
- You should spend an equal amount of time on each question in the test.
- As this happens, the demand for money increases and eventually becomes equal to the money supply again.
- Evaluate the following portfolio using equal weights.
- I tended to treat people more as equals than I should have-equal time, equal help...
- In Western countries, parents are likely to want about equal numbers of sons and daughters.
- Initially, in the 1970s the distribution of female earnings had been much more equal than that of men.
- The light produced was equal to that from a medium sized candle.
- Two quantities can only be equal if they contain the same powers of space, time and mass.
THESAURUS
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.
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 things are exactly the same in every way: · The tablets were identical in size, shape, and colour.· identical names
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.
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.
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.
(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.
Longman Language Activatorthe same in number, amount, level etc as something else · You should spend an equal amount of time on each question in the test. · Dilute the syrup with an equal volume of water, stir and serve with ice.equal to · 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.of equal size/length/weight/power/strength etc · When facing an opponent of equal strength, Barker's speed gives her a big advantage.
something that is as old, strong, long etc as something else is of equal age, strength, length etc: · At fourteen Jeremy was already as tall as his father.· The nation was once more as strong as the other major powers in Europe.· Harry was lively and intelligent, but not as good-looking as his older brother.
if two amounts, levels etc are the same they are equal: · The northern route is longer than the southern one, but the fare is the same.· The experiment was repeated by Professor Schwartz, and the results were the same.be the same size/weight/power etc: · The two cars are roughly the same size, and have similar engines.be the same height/age etc as: · Her sister is the same age as me.exactly/roughly the same: · We're both exactly the same height.
something such as an amount, level, or quantity that is equivalent to something else has an equal effect or result but is not completely the same as it: · If these prizes are not in stock we will send you an equivalent gift of the same value.equivalent to: · The volcanic eruption on Krakatoa had an explosive power equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT.· Unemployed workers receive welfare payments and rent assistance equivalent to 50% of their usual income.
to be exactly equal to a number, amount, or level - used especially in technical or scientific contexts: · Air pressure at sea level equals 1.03kg per square centimetre.· The most efficient basis for the trade of goods is when demand equals supply.
to be equal in number or amount to something that is itself already very high or very great: · The only cars which could match the acceleration of the Ferraris were the Shelby Cobras and Aston Martins.· Forming alliances with other countries was the only way to match the power of the enemy.
to increase quickly enough to remain equal to something else which is also increasing quickly: · There has been a constant expansion of the city boundaries to keep pace with a growing population.· Working-class incomes have generally kept pace with increases in the cost of living.
having equal rights people who are equal have the same rights as each other and are treated in the same way as each other; if people get equal treatment, pay etc, they are all treated in the same way or get paid the same money: · Democracy is based on the idea that all members of society are equal.equal rights (=the idea that all types of people in society should have the same rights and should be treated fairly and equally): · Black protestors campaigned for equal rights throughout the 1960s.equal opportunities (=the idea that all types of people in society should have the same chances of employment): · Companies are being urged to do more to promote equal opportunities in the workplace.equal pay: · The Treaty of Rome states that men and women shall receive equal pay for equal work.
when all people have the same rights and opportunities in society and are treated equally: · Greater equality was one of the aims of the post-war government.racial/sexual equality: · the struggle for sexual equality· It will take more than laws to bring about genuine racial equality.
people, countries, or organizations that are on an equal footing in a particular situation are being treated as equal, even though this would not happen in other places or situations: · It's the beginning of the course, so you're all on an equal footing.place/put somebody on an equal footing (=treat them in the same way): · It wasn't until 1928, that divorce laws were reformed to put men and women on an equal footing.
someone who has the same rights, advantages, and position in society as someone else, with the result that they can have equal respect for each other: · Most women these days want marriage to be a partnership of equals.treat people as equals (=show equal respect to all people): · The police have a duty to treat all members of the community as equals.
someone who has the same background or position in society as you - used especially in technical or official contexts: · The jury system gives you the basic right to be judged by your peers.· Everyone wants to be successful in the eyes of their peers.· At about three years old, children begin to take an interest in their peers.
formal the state of being measurably equal, for example by receiving equal wages or having equal numbers of jobs as another group - used especially in political contexts: parity with: · Part-time workers are demanding parity with their full-time colleagues.· Middle class blacks in the US have not yet achieved parity with whites in graduate school entries.
equal in quality, standard, or ability · I don't think she ever recorded a song as good as "Stormy Weather".· They say that the new Argentinian striker will be as good as Maradona.· "How's the strawberry flavor?" "It's OK, but not as good as the chocolate one."
to be as good or as important as all the other things that are available: be equal to anyone/anything: · There's no doubt that she can produce work that is equal to anyone else's in her class.· The architecture here is equal to anything found in Florence or Rome.
: equally strong/good/difficult etc equal in strength, quality etc: · Chantal Johnson was brought up in Canada, and is equally fluent in French and English.· The meat can then be baked, grilled, or sautéed with equally good results.· Danny has great skill as a football player, and, equally important, the determination that you need to succeed.
to be as good as something else or equal in size, speed, power etc: · No one has ever equalled her performance as Juliet.· The cloth dyers of ancient Tyre produced beautiful colours that have never been equalled by even the finest synthetic dyes.be matched/equalled only by something: · The facilities at the club were only matched by one or two other clubs in Europe.
to be almost as good, impressive, or successful as something that is very good, impressive etc: · The college's facilities rival those of Harvard or Yale.rival something in something: · The new aeroplane would rival its competitors in terms of noise, range and versatility.· The prince built a vast palace, rivalling Versailles in size and opulence.
to be as good or almost as good as something that is very good: · The acquisition of Walker puts the company on a par with its rivals in France and Germany.· Donald showed up with a woman called Pandora, whose beauty was on a par with any film star.
if competitors or opponents are evenly matched they have almost equal ability, so a game or competition between them will be very even: · The two wrestlers were evenly matched.· It seems that the teams are pretty evenly matched, but the French players are probably more experienced.
British you say there's nothing to choose between two things or people when they are both equally good and you cannot say which is better: · After the interviews we had to admit there was nothing to choose between the two candidates.· There's really nothing to choose between the performance of these two cars.
to be in an equal position in a game, competition etc if two of the competitors in a game or competition tie , they get the same number of points: be tied: · The two teams are tied with two games a piece.tie for: · Woosnam and Lyle tied for fourth place on 264.tie with: · I won the first competition and tied with Wilson in the second.
British two teams or competitors that are level at a particular moment in a game or competition have the same number of points: · They scored in the eighth minute but four minutes later we were level.· If the scores are level after 90 minutes, extra time will be played.be level with: · Thanks to today's victory they are level with their main rivals, AC Milan, at the top of the Italian league.draw level (=get enough points to be level): · Brazil were in the lead, until Argentina drew level at the half-time whistle.
also be level pegging British informal use this when two people, horses etc are doing equally well in a race or competition, so that it is impossible to guess who will win: · The two horses are running neck and neck.· For three miles now both yachts have been neck and neck.· The Republicans and Democrats are neck and neck in the opinion polls.· The poll shows the two main parties level pegging, with 33% of the vote each.
especially British a game in which both opponents or teams have equal points at the end, so that neither wins: · Neither side has scored. It looks as if it's going to be another draw.· Last week's draw was a bad result for Arsenal, putting Manchester United ahead of them in the league.end in a draw (=finish with scores equal): · If the final ends in a draw, the game will be decided on penalties.
British to finish a game with the same number of points as your opponent, so that neither of you wins: · "Did you win?'' "No, we drew.''draw with: · Real Madrid drew with Barcelona in the last game of the season.draw a game/match: · The Australian rugby team drew the first game of their European tour, sixteen-all against France at Lyon.
spoken say this when both players or teams have two points, four points etc in a game: · It's two all at the moment, but Germany seems the better team.· "What was the final score?" "One all."
a finish to a race between horses, dogs, or people that is very nearly equal so that it is extremely difficult to say who has won: · It's a photo finish -- we'll have to bring in the judges to decide the winner.· After a very close-run race, it ended in a photo finish.
if the result of a competition, election, race etc is too close to call , the people taking part in it are equally successful, so there is no clear winner: · The exit polls suggest that the election may well be too close to call.
to make two numbers, amounts, situations etc equal · As a parent trying to balance home and career, it's very difficult to find time for a social life.balance something with something · No government so far has been able to balance the number of jobs available with the number of people out of work.
also equalise British to change things so that people are treated equally, especially in their employment: · The Association of Women Teachers in New York fought to equalize male and female pay.· Miners demanded a standard rate throughout the country to equalize wages.
if two amounts, numbers etc balance out , they become equal or have an equal effect, especially if this happens over a fairly long period of time: · Sometimes we have a slight loss and sometimes a slight surplus, but over time they balance out.· Sometimes I do the cooking and sometimes John does - so in the end it all balances out.
if two amounts, or levels even out or you even them out , the differences between them gradually become smaller: even out something: · On cold days the device periodically provides a burst of hot air, to even out the air temperature.even something out: · We want to even the workload out a little, so that no one has more than they can handle.
to achieve a situation in which you give the correct amount of attention and importance to two opposing activities or ideas: · Most reporters are either violently for or violently against the government, but some try to strike a balance.strike a balance between: · School children have to learn to strike a balance between work and play.· Prison reformers are trying to strike a balance between punishing offenders and helping them to avoid repeating their offences.
to make a situation equal or fair again after it has not been fair or equal: · Eventually, if the population of one species rises too much a new epidemic will come along to redress the balance.· Gypsies have often been portrayed as lawless savages, and the film tries to redress the balance by showing their culture as it really is.
to replace or balance something good that has been lost or something bad that has been done, by providing or doing something good: · Nothing they can do will make up for the damage they have caused.· He had to work twice as hard as the other children to make up for his lack of natural ability.more than make up for (=make up for something very well): · The weather was a bit cold, but the beautiful scenery more than made up for it.
to replace or balance something good that has been lost or is lacking, by providing or doing something equally good: · Ray tries to compensate for his shyness by telling a lot of jokes.· It is hoped that the new car's style and design will compensate for its lack of speed.· Failures in this area will have to be compensated for by successes in other areas.
when two amounts, levels, etc are equal: balance between · Take care to achieve a balance between career and home life.· Migration plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance between population and resources.strike a balance/strike the right balance (=succeed in finding a balance) · When dealing with his staff, Mr Allen somehow managed to strike the right balance between being sympathetic and businesslike. upset the balance (=change and harm the balance) · The biological balance is upset by over-intensive farming.
a state in which two or more forces, such as temperature and pressure, remain at a particular level, but would all change if any one of them were changed - used especially in technical or scientific contexts: maintain an equilibrium: · The operation of the free market maintains an equilibrium between supply, demand and price.be in equilibrium (=be balanced, equal etc): · The temperature at which the solid and liquid are in equilibrium is called the freezing point.
when something has an equal but opposite effect if one thing cancels out another, it has an opposite effect to it, so that the situation does not change: · The new tuition fees mean that increases in student grants are effectively cancelled out.cancel each other out/cancel one another out: · Two waves coming from opposite directions will cancel each other out.· Capital gains and losses can be expected to cancel one another out.
if something such as a cost or a sum of money offsets another cost, sum etc, it has an opposite effect so that the situation remains unchanged: · The savings on staff wages are offset by the increased maintenance costs.· $3000 was spent in US schools to offset the disadvantages of about 6 million school children.
to have an equal and opposite effect to something such as a change, an influence, or a feeling: · Fortunately there are strong democratic forces in the country that counterbalance any extremist influences.· His fear of his father is counterbalanced by a genuine respect for him.
British spoken use this to say that although a particular method, decision, situation etc might give you an advantage, it will also involve an equal disadvantage: · Well, it's a case of swings and roundabouts really. You win some, you lose some.· The global economy can cut both ways, as some of a country's industries benefit from increased opportunity, and others lose to overseas competition.
not equal in number, amount, level etc · People are paid unequal amounts because they have unequal talents.of unequal size/length etc · two pieces of wood of unequal lengthunequal in size/length etc · The boxers were so unequal in size that it was never really a true contest.
a disproportionate share of something is higher than it should be because the thing has not been shared equally: · Children who disrupt lessons at school take up a disproportionate amount of the teacher's time.· The report shows that a disproportionate number of black women do unskilled, low-paid work.· The richest areas of the country are getting a disproportionate share of government grants.
a state in which two things are not equal, especially if this is unfair or causes problems: · Eighty per cent of our wealth belongs to five per cent of the people, and there's no legislation to counter this imbalance.· At the higher levels of management, there's definitely a gender imbalance.imbalance between: · The economy is failing because of the great imbalance between imports and exports.imbalance in/of: · the imbalance of power between women and men in nineteenth-century America· The company was ordered to remedy the racial imbalance in its workforce.
not having equal rights when people do not have the same rights or opportunities in their education, their jobs etc, because of their sex, race, or social class: · The report looks at inequality in education.· There are still a lot of inequalities in society.social/sexual/racial inequality: · Social inequality tended to increase rather than lessen in the 1980s.
when people are treated unfairly because of their race, sex, age etc: · Federal law forbids discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or color. · Immigrants faced harassment and discrimination, and were paid considerably less than their white colleagues.discrimination against: · Laws have got to be tougher to stop discrimination against the disabled.· In 1974 IBM became the first American company to bar discrimination against gay workers. discrimination in: · They managed to reform American law, and ban racial and religious discrimination in housing, schools, and the workplace.racial/sex/age discrimination: · The most common victims of age discrimination are employees in their mid-50s.· The company was found guilty of racial discrimination, and was ordered to renew Ms. Jayalalitha's employment contract. anti-discrimination law/legislation/policy (=a law etc that forbids discrimination): · An insurance company is being investigated under federal anti-discrimination laws for refusing home insurance to a black Ohio couple.
unequal treatment, relationships, conditions etc are unfair to some of the people involved because they do not have equal rights or advantages: · The unequal distribution of wealth is a feature of our system of government.· When people are forced to compete on unequal terms they become resentful.· It was an unequal relationship. He was rich, powerful and experienced -- I was very young and naive.
the political and social rights that everyone should have the political and social freedom that everyone in a country should have: · Every individual should have basic rights.rights of: · Some motorcyclists saw the helmet law as an infringement on the rights of the individual.women's/workers'/victims' etc rights: · Laws enacted in the past ten years have gradually taken away workers' rights.· Allred is an attorney who has gained a national reputation fighting for women's rights.
the rights that every person should have, such as the right to vote or be treated equally and fairly by the law, whatever their sex, race, or religion: · She had been actively involved in the struggle for civil rights in the US in the '60s.· The President has agreed to talks with civil rights campaigners.· The civil rights movement illustrates how people can change the constitution of their country.
the basic right that all people should have, including freedom and the right to be treated fairly and without cruelty by their government: · The Court ruled that hitting children was an abuse of human rights.· A number of leading human rights activists were arrested yesterday.· The regime has a long record of human rights violations.
the rights of every person to be treated fairly and equally by the law or by society, whatever their sex, race, religion, or social position: · The battle for equal rights for women is not yet over.· The Americans were the first to make law the principle of equal rights for every individual.· Homosexual men and women are campaigning for equal rights.
the right of every person to have a chance to get a job, go to university etc, whatever their sex, race, or social position: · Only in a completely classless society can there be equal opportunities for everyone.equal opportunities legislation/programs etc: · Certain jobs were dominated by men until the equal opportunities legislation of the 1970s.
the rights of any citizen to do whatever they want as long as they respect the rights of other people, without having to ask anyone's permission, and the right to keep their personal information private: · The banning of public meetings was held to be a denial of civil liberties.· The ability of this software to gather information about individuals through the Web is worrying to civil liberties groups.
the same in amount or number · Both stores are charging the same price for CD players.the same height/age/price etc as · Her sister is the same age as me.· For much the same price as a flat in London, you can buy a luxury home in Barnsley.exactly the same height/age/price etc · We're both exactly the same height.
to be the same age, length etc as someone or something else: · At 14, Richard was already as tall as his father.be as old/long/strong etc as: · The loss of a pet can be just as upsetting as the death of a member of the family.
two or more amounts, totals, levels etc that are equal are the same as each other: · You should spend an equal amount of time on each question in the test.equal to: · A pint is equal to about half a litre.of equal power/strength/weight etc: · Choose two stones of roughly equal weight and size.
to the same degree: · Both schools seem equally good.· Club bosses and doormen are equally concerned about the situation.
WORD SETSabacus, nounalgebra, nounangle, nounarc, nounarea, nounarithmetic, nounarithmetic, adjectivearithmetic progression, nounaxis, nounbar chart, nounbar graph, nounbase, nounbinomial, nounbisect, verbBoolean, adjectiveC, nouncalculator, nouncalculus, nouncanonical, adjectivechord, nouncipher, nouncircumference, nouncircumscribe, verbcompass, nouncomplementary, adjectivecomputation, nouncompute, verbconcentric, adjectivecone, nouncongruent, adjectiveconical, adjectiveconstant, nouncontain, verbcoordinate, nouncoordinate, adjectivecos, cosine, nouncube, nouncubic, adjectivecurvature, nouncurve, nouncut, verbdeci-, prefixdeviation, noundiagonal, adjectivediameter, noundifferential calculus, noundigit, noundimension, noundomain, nouneccentric, adjectiveellipse, nounelliptical, adjectiveequal, adjectiveequal, verbequals sign, nounequation, nounequilateral triangle, nounexponential, adjectiveexpress, verbexpression, nounface, nounfigure, nounflow chart, nounformula, nounfraction, nounfractional, adjectivefunction, noungeometric, adjectivegeometry, noungraph, noungraphically, adverbgraph paper, noungrid, nounHCF, helix, nounheptagon, nounhexagon, nounhistogram, nounhypotenuse, nounimperial, adjectiveimproper fraction, nouninfinity, nouninformation theory, nouninnumerate, adjectiveinto, prepositioninverse, adjectiveisosceles triangle, nounline graph, log, nounlogarithm, nounlong division, nounlozenge, nounmath, nounmathematical, adjectivemathematician, nounmathematics, nounmatrix, nounmean, adjectivemedian, nounmedian, adjectivemetric, adjectiveminus, prepositionminus, nounminus, adjectiveminus sign, nounminute, nounmultiplication, nounmultiplication sign, nounmultiplication table, nounmultiply, verbN, nounnumber, nounnumerate, adjectivenumeration, nounoblong, adjectiveobtuse angle, nounoctagon, nounoval, nounparabola, nounparallel, adjectiveparallelogram, nounpentagon, nounpercentage, nounperimeter, nounperpendicular, nounpi, nounpictogram, nounpie chart, nounplane, nounplane geometry, nounplus, prepositionplus, nounplus, adjectiveplus sign, nounpolygon, nounpolyhedron, nounpower, nounprism, nounprobability, nounproof, nounproportion, nounproposition, nounprotractor, nounquadrangle, nounquadrant, nounquadratic equation, nounquadri-, prefixquadrilateral, nounradius, nounratio, nounrectangle, nounrectilinear, adjectiverecur, verbrhombus, nounright angle, nounright-angled triangle, nounroot, nounruler, nounscale, nounscalene triangle, nounscatter diagram, section, nounsegment, nounsemicircle, nounset square, nounsine, nounslide rule, nounsolid, adjectivesolid, nounsolution, nounsolve, verbsphere, nounsquare, adjectivesquare, nounsquare, verbsquare, adverbsquarely, adverbsquare root, nounsubset, nounsubtract, verbsubtraction, nounsum, nounsurface area, nounsymmetrical, adjectivesymmetry, nountangent, nounterm, nountheorem, nounthreefold, adjectivetimes, prepositiontrapezium, nountriangle, nountrigonometry, nountwo-dimensional, adjectivevalue, nounvariable, nounvector, nounVenn diagram, nounvertex, nounvertical, adjectivevolume, nounwork, verbX, nounx-axis, nouny-axis, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 1adverbs
two rocks of roughly equal size
· The food is shared out in exactly equal portions among all members of the community.
· The number of buyers and sellers must be roughly equal before trading begins.
· They are about equal in height and weight.
nouns· Both candidates received an equal number of votes.
phrases· Draw two lines of equal length.
· The population of each town is roughly equal in size.
· Your pension will be equal in value to two thirds of your final year salary.
· In higher education, women are equal in numbers to men.
· He is remembered for his novels, but his scientific work is of equal importance.
Meaning 2nouns· In many countries, women do not have equal rights with men.
· The government must make sure that all children have equal opportunities in education.
· The workers’ demands include equal pay for equal work.
(=the same right to do or receive something)· The law states that disabled people must have equal access to employment.
· Everyone should get equal treatment under the law.
phrases· It is a myth that all men are born equal.
· They believe that everyone is created equal by God.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES British English (=one in which everyone has the same chance of winning)· One of the men was much older so it was hardly an even contest.
(=in the same state or condition as other people or things) The new law puts women on an equal legal footing with men. Many of the old polytechnics are now on the same footing as universities.
The new law puts women on an equal legal footing with men. Many of the old polytechnics are now on the same footing as universities.· When applying for a job, qualifications and experience are often of equal importance.
· She drew two lines of equal length.
· I cut the orange into four equal parts.
· They regard marriage as an equal partnership.
(=the same pay for the same type of work)· The women at the factory went on strike for equal pay.
· Each new baby has an approximately equal probability of inheriting maleness or femaleness.
(also tie a record American English) (=do as well as the record)· Woods equalled the course record and finished eleven under par.· Davis tied a team record by hitting six field goals.
· Women demanded equal rights.
two rocks of roughly equal size· Workers of equal status should be rewarded equally.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Theta Carinæ lies at an almost equal distance on the far side of Lambda Centauri.· Pumping the gas in under pressure produced a beverage almost equal to that of the best mineral springs.· For most who quit, the failure is a trauma almost equal to the pounding of the miles.· But there is another model, of almost equal craziness, which does offer a mechanism to copy.· In a way it mirrored the original kidnapping itself, and carried almost equal risks for everyone concerned.· They were further reinforced by two sets of external pressures of almost equal strength.· The total recovery of perfusion fluid was almost equal to that infused.· Feeling her strength almost equal to Nana's, Martha thrashed her arm to break her grasp.
· The numbers of tenancies expiring each year are approximately equal.· The classes contain approximately equal numbers of members.· This group has approximately equal numbers and proportions of isolated and insitu incisors that are digested.· These two strands have an approximately equal weight in terms of student workload and contribution to the overall assessment.· These periods contained approximately equal numbers of cases.
· The relative status and esteem accorded to husband and wife will be roughly equal.· The computed rates of injection of new NEAs for the two mechanisms are roughly equal.· Under the agreement Mondadori was to be split into roughly equal halves, each worth around US$800 million.· If all questions carry the same maximum marks, your answers should be given roughly equal time.· Granulites are like their textural equivalents, granular igneous rocks, in being mosaics of interlocking crystals of roughly equal size.· The books fell into two roughly equal groups: occult studies and lives of famous and infamous men and women through history.· Gender Unlike many local councils, Basildon has a roughly equal proportion of men and women in its workforce.
NOUN· We will encourage all TECs to adopt plans to help women trainees have equal access to training opportunities.· Finally, two apartments had to be remodeled to comply with federal laws assuring equal access for handicapped persons.· There it was said: All investors should have equal access to the rewards of participation in the securities transactions.· There are instead just students, each and every one of them having equal access to the curriculum.· Screening services are often fragmented, and the public may not have equal access to particular screening programmes.· And, finally, and most important, making sure that women have equal access to opportunities.· The local pressure group world does not provide equal access to all.· The school is acknowledged as providing equal access and entitlement to a rich and varied curriculum.
· The first half was pretty even with both teams having equal amounts of play.· The Port is considering supplying an equal amount.· Approximately equal amounts of each are powdered and mixed together thoroughly.· Top each with an equal amount of the yogurt and nutmeg.· An equal amount of injury might have happened at a football match but that was beside the point.· Partners should contribute an equal amount of time to their business.· In spite of its quantitative sound, political equality never means having an equal amount of any chosen characteristic.· Rub spots with an equal amount of toothpaste and baking soda on a damp cotton cloth.
· In that time the ulema of the three cities gave fetvas on an equal basis.· The mix and match formula ensures that shareholders are treated on an equal basis.· Political and community structures must be changed to allow older people to participate on an equal basis with other age social groups.· Rewards are offered to all participants on an equal basis and these rewards are over and above the normal sales compensation.
· However, we require that every secondary sampling unit has an equal chance of inclusion in the sample.· A defined population has an equal chance of appearing in the sample.· Doctors said the boys had an equal chance of survival.· Households were selected by a method that gave all telephone numbers, listed and unlisted, an equal chance of being included.· They stand an equal chance only if you get the price right.· The number of strands in each rope would then be adjusted until there was an equal chance of failure.· This year we have added a special category for best new garden under three years old to give everyone an equal chance.· Every young person who has achieved the Compact goals will have an equal chance of securing a Compact job.
· It was not until 1923 that the sexes, on this ground, were placed on an equal footing.· Buthelezi had repeatedly insisted on a meeting with Mandela on an equal footing and in his capacity as head of Inkatha.· Magistrates may have some difficulty in putting on an equal footing Social Services Departments, and the parents of children in care.· This has enabled domestic markets to compete on a much more equal footing.· If the supplier is on an equal footing with the buyer there will be no implied undertaking.· Buthelezi for his part had frequently called for such a meeting, insisting on meeting Mandela on an equal footing.· It would be nice to think they might meet on an equal footing.
· Remember to pay ongoing attention to the intonation, and regard it as of equal importance to get right as the actual words.· Of equal importance are the relative amounts of assimilation and accommodation that take place.· Of equal importance are those social factors which come into play when the user or former user is back on the streets.· He and Johnson, however, emphasized the equal importance of volunteers.· Indeed, horticulture is of equal importance to the maintaining of the animal collection.· Qualitative measurement of skill mix within departments is usually of equal importance.· Of equal importance, the social side was satisfactory.· Hence we concentrate on the user-catalogue interaction and on the interactive dialogue in particular with user and catalogue system inputs having equal importance.
· The radiating ribs of a fan are of equal length and the bounding line is in the form of a semicircle.· Take a sharp knife and cut the roll into four equal lengths.· The lines must be of equal length, and fully paid-out before launch.· It must be greater than unity unless all the molecules are of equal length, as is easily seen.· It is usual for them to come in two equal length pieces to fit a central ferrule.
· Advertising proved a more fertile category, with decisions which set heads nodding and shaking in equal measure.· The opponent during all of this was reduced to looking on with equal measures of admiration and amazement.· Her doubts about its truth do not, in equal measure, dislodge her belief.· I was angry and embarrassed in equal measure and hated them.· Neil Young commands fear and respect in equal measure.· Is it one of those reactions that occur spontaneously when journalists' ink is mixed with an equal measure of pure ignorance?· Bishop had known what was happening: the Guild of Adjudicators was famed and feared in equal measure amongst the Earth colonies.
· For example, the customer might ask to be given equal numbers of 5p and 20p coins for use in a vending machine.· One hundred fifty years after the event equal numbers of people might each choose one of the above descriptions.· Each strategy was matched against each other strategy an equal number of times.· Achieving road warrior status requires fifty airplane flights a year and an equal number of hotel nights.· This group has approximately equal numbers and proportions of isolated and insitu incisors that are digested.· A new civilian police force has been created, with equal numbers of ex-soldiers and ex-guerrillas in its ranks.· There were literally thousands of competitors from all the London boroughs, along with an equal number of supporters and spectators.· A large body, such as the earth or the sun, contains nearly equal numbers of positive and negative charges.
· For example, the customer might ask to be given equal numbers of 5p and 20p coins for use in a vending machine.· One hundred fifty years after the event equal numbers of people might each choose one of the above descriptions.· The classes contain approximately equal numbers of members.· First, let us drop the assumption of equal numbers of firms.· This group has approximately equal numbers and proportions of isolated and insitu incisors that are digested.· 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.· A large body, such as the earth or the sun, contains nearly equal numbers of positive and negative charges.
· An equal opportunity policy, reducing a, would, for given earnings inequality, reduce the inequality of consumption.· I do believe in equal opportunity.· Our college, and authority, now has an equal opportunities policy document.· At the council office where she worked, the office that dealt with equal opportunities and discrimination.· So those who espouse equal opportunity need to elaborate its purpose.· Every Whitehall Department now has a nominated Minister who is specifically responsible for promoting equal opportunities in public appointments.· The process entails interviews with equal opportunities officers, and rigorous questioning of his own beliefs.· How about an equal opportunities policy for the franchise?
· Teacher and pupil, even primary school pupil, were equal partners in this joint exploration.· I say that what I want is an equal partner.· On the campaign trail, she made it clear she wanted to be an equal partner.· The modern wife is considered more of an equal partner and helpmate than a chattel or a housekeeper.· In some cases all the centres involved may be equal partners.· In fact, psychology and biology have to be equal partners in our analysis of the brain.· It promised to adopt more democratic structures and said it would be an equal partner with other political parties.
· Religious grumbles continued, but the Government's only serious defeat was over equal pay for women teachers.· Most of all, they need equal pay and comparable worth.· Article 6 reinforces the legal rights on equal pay obtained by women in this country, in 1970.· In 1958 the Civil Service led the way towards equality by granting equal pay.· In spite of equal pay legislation women have continued to be paid less than men.· They want equal pay to traditional universities.· Your solicitor can also advise you on questions relating to equal pay.· As wage earners themselves, they saw the morality of equal pay.
· This connection between integrity and the rhetoric of equal protection is revealing.· A local Republican party of official claimed the law violated equal protection and First Amendment principles.· Everyone should have equal protection by the law and the ability to appeal against local authority.· Again, equal protection and due process concerns are evident.· Instead, it guaranteed equal protection to all-except where equality conflicted with state or canton laws.· The Constitution, and the courts that have interpreted it, posit rights to liberty, privacy and equal protection.· Segregation on the basis of race is a denial of equal protection in violation of the Constitution. 38a.· Article 26 provides equal protection before the law and equal protection of the law without any discrimination.
· They argue for a more equal representation of women and men among psychologists.· The Democratic party's demands include equal representation on committees, but they have yet to win Republican agreement to this.· Teaching material is scrutinised for equal representation of gender in illustrations and text.· Riche told reporters that the samples will be taken in each county to ensure equal representation.· We have a right to be represented in a women's magazine that's fighting for equal representation.
· Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the people of Northern Ireland demand equal rights with those on the mainland?· Both husband and wife had equal rights to divorce in Roman society.· Be tolerant, they have an equal right to life.· It is also passionately concerned with the cult of the Black Virgin and has a remarkable record of equal rights for women.· Nations and ethnic groups, similarly, would have equal rights, at least within the Soviet federation.· But their equal rights were not to justice.· Guarantee equal rights for gay men and lesbians through changes to criminal law, anti-discrimination legislation and police practices.· It would also give females equal rights of inheritance with males, replacing the frequent favoritism toward the eldest son.
· Many churches had four simple gables of equal size one on each face, surmounted by a central dome upon a drum.· Some species create carbon dioxide at a faster rate than others of equal size.· Slice the orange across to form round slices of equal size.· Usually if two gray angels of nearly equal size are placed together a fight to the death ensues.· For cell kinetics evaluation, each crypt was divided into five compartments of equal size.· A child is presented with two containers of equal size and shape, as in Figure 4. 5.· And Mr Wallis believes the town should be thinking in terms of an attraction of equal size and prestige as the Beamish Museum.· Granulites are like their textural equivalents, granular igneous rocks, in being mosaics of interlocking crystals of roughly equal size.
· Relationships in which the two individuals concerned are of exactly equal status are very unusual.· What then of researching known subjects of equal status within your peer group?· Will equal status be given to road and rail investment?· Correspondingly most of the persons in a close network of relationships are of unequal rather than equal status.· We should see our respective institutions as having equal status, and our individual functions as equivalent regardless of grade. 7.· They are considered beneath contempt in the system, but at Grendon everyone has equal status.
· It is particularly concerned to ensure fair and equal treatment for all shareholders.· The difference among educational groups in expectations of equal treatment by the police is similarly high in both countries.· They would still not have equal treatment with Falklands war widows, who receive about £124 a week.· Not until she moved to San Diego in 1988 did she seek equal treatment for herself.· So, the government was not inclined to insist on equal treatment.· However, it was clear from the way she spread the toes of her other foot that it desired equal treatment.· Examples: Do nonwhites and whites in the United States enjoy equal treatment before the law?· In any event, the needs of humans warrant full and equal treatment to those of owls and snail darters.
· With respect to desire, they insist on the equal value of products of the hunt and products of the garden.· None the less, it has its own special flavour which is of equal value.· As recession forces companies to cut costs, fundraisers are emphasising the equal value to charities of sparing time and expertise.· But they do not all offer equal value for money.· They may turn out to be Of equal value to those who do.
· The new title gave equal weight to both nationalities in the republic.· Whereas in the Catholic Church the word and Churches Doctrine held equal weight.· Will social factors be given equal weight with medical factors when determining such claims?· Everyone's opinion has equal weight.· It would ensure that the vote of every citizen had equal weight.· These two strands have an approximately equal weight in terms of student workload and contribution to the overall assessment.· If, for example, two perceptive functions are of equal weight, they tend to interfere with and jam each other.· If you don't have fresh fruit to hand, just use an equal weight of canned or frozen fruit instead.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► on equal terms/on an equal footingPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- I'm not sure he's equal to the job.
- The museum's collection is equal to any in Europe.
- A fiber mile is one strand of fiber measuring one mile long is equal to 12 fiber miles.
- A system is in chemical equilibrium when the rate of the forward reaction is equal to the rate of the reverse reaction.
- Gilling's ability to teeter between fantasy and plausibility recalls Dickens.What he imagines is equal to anything Prospero might have conjured.
- In terms of value, roughly, that sum in the 1930s was equal to around £1500 in today's money.
- The amount of the asset and liability is equal to the present value of the minimum future lease payments.
- The fair futures prices is equal to the current spot price plus the cost of carry.
- To make the young and pensioners pay for prescriptions is equal to having Claymore mines for us to step on.
- What I look like going around here talking about I want to be equal to you?
- All other things being equal, schools where parents are highly involved are more likely to run effectively.
- Both snail genes and fluke genes stand to gain from the snail's bodily survival, all other things being equal.
- But all other things being equal, the gay and lesbian community has responded well to examples of perceived corporate goodwill.
- But all things being equal, most movie makers would like their facts to be right.
- It shows the quantities of a product which will be demanded at various prices, all other things being equal.
- Significant improvements in clarity and stereo imaging are amongst the more obvious benefits of such parity, all other things being equal.
- The bright chestnut is considered the most characteristic colour and, all other things being equal, the one to be preferred.
- But Aggie was first among equals.
- Cash is the first among equals.
- The prime minister was primus inter pares in the cabinet-the first among equals.
- Let c equal 6.
- Advertising proved a more fertile category, with decisions which set heads nodding and shaking in equal measure.
- Bishop had known what was happening: the Guild of Adjudicators was famed and feared in equal measure amongst the Earth colonies.
- Blanche was irritated and entertained by his nervous chatter in equal measure.
- By avoiding tax, you can enjoy power and luxury in equal measure.
- He was jeered and cheered in equal measure by a group of about 100 students at the entrance.
- Her doubts about its truth do not, in equal measure, dislodge her belief.
- I was angry and embarrassed in equal measure and hated them.
- Neil Young commands fear and respect in equal measure.
- Both snail genes and fluke genes stand to gain from the snail's bodily survival, all other things being equal.
- But all things being equal, most movie makers would like their facts to be right.
- But all other things being equal, the gay and lesbian community has responded well to examples of perceived corporate goodwill.
- It shows the quantities of a product which will be demanded at various prices, all other things being equal.
- Significant improvements in clarity and stereo imaging are amongst the more obvious benefits of such parity, all other things being equal.
- The bright chestnut is considered the most characteristic colour and, all other things being equal, the one to be preferred.
WORD FAMILYnounequality ≠ inequalityequalequalizerverbequalizeequaladjectiveequal ≠ unequaladverbequally ≠ unequally
1same the same in size, number, amount, value etc as something elseequal 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 etcequal to The rent was equal to half his monthly income.► see thesaurus at same2same 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.3be 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.4on 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.5all (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– Meaning 1adverbsexactly 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.nounsan equal number/amount· Both candidates received an equal number of votes.phrasesbe 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– Meaning 2nounsequal 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.phrasesbe born equal· It is a myth that all men are born equal.be created equal· They believe that everyone is created equal by God.equal1 adjectiveequal2 verbequal3 noun
equalequal2 ●●○ S3 W3 verb (past tense and past participle equalled, present participle equalling British English, equaled, equaling American English) VERB TABLE
equal
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | they | equal |
| it | equals | |
| Past | it, they | equalled |
| Present perfect | they | have equalled |
| it | has equalled | |
| Past perfect | it, they | had equalled |
| Future | it, they | will equal |
| Future perfect | it, they | will have equalled |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Air pressure at sea level equals 1.03kg per square centimetre.
- Americans are finding out the hard way that drug possession equals jail in foreign countries.
- Butcher will attempt to equal Swenson's win record.
- The average retired worker gets $720 a month in benefits, which equals about 42% of earnings before retirement.
- The most efficient basis for the trade of goods is when demand equals supply.
- Three plus three equals six.
- According to the first figures available, it is estimated that the national bank's exchange reserves equal a month's imports.
- Also, when profits are driven down to zero, the degree of monopoly power equals the degree of economies of scale.
- Among young homeowners, the mortgage debt typically equals 78 percent of the house value.
- But also by 1967, expenditure on education had for the first time in history equalled that on defence.
- It's so peculiar to think that you plus wife equals a new human being.
- It usually equals the atmospheric pressure.
Longman Language Activatorthe same in number, amount, level etc as something else
· You should spend an equal amount of time on each question in the test. · Dilute the syrup with an equal volume of water, stir and serve with ice.equal to · 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.of equal size/length/weight/power/strength etc · When facing an opponent of equal strength, Barker's speed gives her a big advantage.
something that is as old, strong, long etc as something else is of equal age, strength, length etc: · At fourteen Jeremy was already as tall as his father.· The nation was once more as strong as the other major powers in Europe.· Harry was lively and intelligent, but not as good-looking as his older brother.
if two amounts, levels etc are the same they are equal: · The northern route is longer than the southern one, but the fare is the same.· The experiment was repeated by Professor Schwartz, and the results were the same.be the same size/weight/power etc: · The two cars are roughly the same size, and have similar engines.be the same height/age etc as: · Her sister is the same age as me.exactly/roughly the same: · We're both exactly the same height.
something such as an amount, level, or quantity that is equivalent to something else has an equal effect or result but is not completely the same as it: · If these prizes are not in stock we will send you an equivalent gift of the same value.equivalent to: · The volcanic eruption on Krakatoa had an explosive power equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT.· Unemployed workers receive welfare payments and rent assistance equivalent to 50% of their usual income.
to be exactly equal to a number, amount, or level - used especially in technical or scientific contexts: · Air pressure at sea level equals 1.03kg per square centimetre.· The most efficient basis for the trade of goods is when demand equals supply.
to be equal in number or amount to something that is itself already very high or very great: · The only cars which could match the acceleration of the Ferraris were the Shelby Cobras and Aston Martins.· Forming alliances with other countries was the only way to match the power of the enemy.
to increase quickly enough to remain equal to something else which is also increasing quickly: · There has been a constant expansion of the city boundaries to keep pace with a growing population.· Working-class incomes have generally kept pace with increases in the cost of living.
having equal rights people who are equal have the same rights as each other and are treated in the same way as each other; if people get equal treatment, pay etc, they are all treated in the same way or get paid the same money: · Democracy is based on the idea that all members of society are equal.equal rights (=the idea that all types of people in society should have the same rights and should be treated fairly and equally): · Black protestors campaigned for equal rights throughout the 1960s.equal opportunities (=the idea that all types of people in society should have the same chances of employment): · Companies are being urged to do more to promote equal opportunities in the workplace.equal pay: · The Treaty of Rome states that men and women shall receive equal pay for equal work.
when all people have the same rights and opportunities in society and are treated equally: · Greater equality was one of the aims of the post-war government.racial/sexual equality: · the struggle for sexual equality· It will take more than laws to bring about genuine racial equality.
people, countries, or organizations that are on an equal footing in a particular situation are being treated as equal, even though this would not happen in other places or situations: · It's the beginning of the course, so you're all on an equal footing.place/put somebody on an equal footing (=treat them in the same way): · It wasn't until 1928, that divorce laws were reformed to put men and women on an equal footing.
someone who has the same rights, advantages, and position in society as someone else, with the result that they can have equal respect for each other: · Most women these days want marriage to be a partnership of equals.treat people as equals (=show equal respect to all people): · The police have a duty to treat all members of the community as equals.
someone who has the same background or position in society as you - used especially in technical or official contexts: · The jury system gives you the basic right to be judged by your peers.· Everyone wants to be successful in the eyes of their peers.· At about three years old, children begin to take an interest in their peers.
formal the state of being measurably equal, for example by receiving equal wages or having equal numbers of jobs as another group - used especially in political contexts: parity with: · Part-time workers are demanding parity with their full-time colleagues.· Middle class blacks in the US have not yet achieved parity with whites in graduate school entries.
equal in quality, standard, or ability · I don't think she ever recorded a song as good as "Stormy Weather".· They say that the new Argentinian striker will be as good as Maradona.· "How's the strawberry flavor?" "It's OK, but not as good as the chocolate one."
to be as good or as important as all the other things that are available: be equal to anyone/anything: · There's no doubt that she can produce work that is equal to anyone else's in her class.· The architecture here is equal to anything found in Florence or Rome.
: equally strong/good/difficult etc equal in strength, quality etc: · Chantal Johnson was brought up in Canada, and is equally fluent in French and English.· The meat can then be baked, grilled, or sautéed with equally good results.· Danny has great skill as a football player, and, equally important, the determination that you need to succeed.
to be as good as something else or equal in size, speed, power etc: · No one has ever equalled her performance as Juliet.· The cloth dyers of ancient Tyre produced beautiful colours that have never been equalled by even the finest synthetic dyes.be matched/equalled only by something: · The facilities at the club were only matched by one or two other clubs in Europe.
to be almost as good, impressive, or successful as something that is very good, impressive etc: · The college's facilities rival those of Harvard or Yale.rival something in something: · The new aeroplane would rival its competitors in terms of noise, range and versatility.· The prince built a vast palace, rivalling Versailles in size and opulence.
to be as good or almost as good as something that is very good: · The acquisition of Walker puts the company on a par with its rivals in France and Germany.· Donald showed up with a woman called Pandora, whose beauty was on a par with any film star.
if competitors or opponents are evenly matched they have almost equal ability, so a game or competition between them will be very even: · The two wrestlers were evenly matched.· It seems that the teams are pretty evenly matched, but the French players are probably more experienced.
British you say there's nothing to choose between two things or people when they are both equally good and you cannot say which is better: · After the interviews we had to admit there was nothing to choose between the two candidates.· There's really nothing to choose between the performance of these two cars.
to be in an equal position in a game, competition etc if two of the competitors in a game or competition tie , they get the same number of points: be tied: · The two teams are tied with two games a piece.tie for: · Woosnam and Lyle tied for fourth place on 264.tie with: · I won the first competition and tied with Wilson in the second.
British two teams or competitors that are level at a particular moment in a game or competition have the same number of points: · They scored in the eighth minute but four minutes later we were level.· If the scores are level after 90 minutes, extra time will be played.be level with: · Thanks to today's victory they are level with their main rivals, AC Milan, at the top of the Italian league.draw level (=get enough points to be level): · Brazil were in the lead, until Argentina drew level at the half-time whistle.
also be level pegging British informal use this when two people, horses etc are doing equally well in a race or competition, so that it is impossible to guess who will win: · The two horses are running neck and neck.· For three miles now both yachts have been neck and neck.· The Republicans and Democrats are neck and neck in the opinion polls.· The poll shows the two main parties level pegging, with 33% of the vote each.
especially British a game in which both opponents or teams have equal points at the end, so that neither wins: · Neither side has scored. It looks as if it's going to be another draw.· Last week's draw was a bad result for Arsenal, putting Manchester United ahead of them in the league.end in a draw (=finish with scores equal): · If the final ends in a draw, the game will be decided on penalties.
British to finish a game with the same number of points as your opponent, so that neither of you wins: · "Did you win?'' "No, we drew.''draw with: · Real Madrid drew with Barcelona in the last game of the season.draw a game/match: · The Australian rugby team drew the first game of their European tour, sixteen-all against France at Lyon.
spoken say this when both players or teams have two points, four points etc in a game: · It's two all at the moment, but Germany seems the better team.· "What was the final score?" "One all."
a finish to a race between horses, dogs, or people that is very nearly equal so that it is extremely difficult to say who has won: · It's a photo finish -- we'll have to bring in the judges to decide the winner.· After a very close-run race, it ended in a photo finish.
if the result of a competition, election, race etc is too close to call , the people taking part in it are equally successful, so there is no clear winner: · The exit polls suggest that the election may well be too close to call.
to make two numbers, amounts, situations etc equal · As a parent trying to balance home and career, it's very difficult to find time for a social life.balance something with something · No government so far has been able to balance the number of jobs available with the number of people out of work.
also equalise British to change things so that people are treated equally, especially in their employment: · The Association of Women Teachers in New York fought to equalize male and female pay.· Miners demanded a standard rate throughout the country to equalize wages.
if two amounts, numbers etc balance out , they become equal or have an equal effect, especially if this happens over a fairly long period of time: · Sometimes we have a slight loss and sometimes a slight surplus, but over time they balance out.· Sometimes I do the cooking and sometimes John does - so in the end it all balances out.
if two amounts, or levels even out or you even them out , the differences between them gradually become smaller: even out something: · On cold days the device periodically provides a burst of hot air, to even out the air temperature.even something out: · We want to even the workload out a little, so that no one has more than they can handle.
to achieve a situation in which you give the correct amount of attention and importance to two opposing activities or ideas: · Most reporters are either violently for or violently against the government, but some try to strike a balance.strike a balance between: · School children have to learn to strike a balance between work and play.· Prison reformers are trying to strike a balance between punishing offenders and helping them to avoid repeating their offences.
to make a situation equal or fair again after it has not been fair or equal: · Eventually, if the population of one species rises too much a new epidemic will come along to redress the balance.· Gypsies have often been portrayed as lawless savages, and the film tries to redress the balance by showing their culture as it really is.
to replace or balance something good that has been lost or something bad that has been done, by providing or doing something good: · Nothing they can do will make up for the damage they have caused.· He had to work twice as hard as the other children to make up for his lack of natural ability.more than make up for (=make up for something very well): · The weather was a bit cold, but the beautiful scenery more than made up for it.
to replace or balance something good that has been lost or is lacking, by providing or doing something equally good: · Ray tries to compensate for his shyness by telling a lot of jokes.· It is hoped that the new car's style and design will compensate for its lack of speed.· Failures in this area will have to be compensated for by successes in other areas.
when two amounts, levels, etc are equal: balance between · Take care to achieve a balance between career and home life.· Migration plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance between population and resources.strike a balance/strike the right balance (=succeed in finding a balance) · When dealing with his staff, Mr Allen somehow managed to strike the right balance between being sympathetic and businesslike. upset the balance (=change and harm the balance) · The biological balance is upset by over-intensive farming.
a state in which two or more forces, such as temperature and pressure, remain at a particular level, but would all change if any one of them were changed - used especially in technical or scientific contexts: maintain an equilibrium: · The operation of the free market maintains an equilibrium between supply, demand and price.be in equilibrium (=be balanced, equal etc): · The temperature at which the solid and liquid are in equilibrium is called the freezing point.
when something has an equal but opposite effect if one thing cancels out another, it has an opposite effect to it, so that the situation does not change: · The new tuition fees mean that increases in student grants are effectively cancelled out.cancel each other out/cancel one another out: · Two waves coming from opposite directions will cancel each other out.· Capital gains and losses can be expected to cancel one another out.
if something such as a cost or a sum of money offsets another cost, sum etc, it has an opposite effect so that the situation remains unchanged: · The savings on staff wages are offset by the increased maintenance costs.· $3000 was spent in US schools to offset the disadvantages of about 6 million school children.
to have an equal and opposite effect to something such as a change, an influence, or a feeling: · Fortunately there are strong democratic forces in the country that counterbalance any extremist influences.· His fear of his father is counterbalanced by a genuine respect for him.
British spoken use this to say that although a particular method, decision, situation etc might give you an advantage, it will also involve an equal disadvantage: · Well, it's a case of swings and roundabouts really. You win some, you lose some.· The global economy can cut both ways, as some of a country's industries benefit from increased opportunity, and others lose to overseas competition.
not equal in number, amount, level etc · People are paid unequal amounts because they have unequal talents.of unequal size/length etc · two pieces of wood of unequal lengthunequal in size/length etc · The boxers were so unequal in size that it was never really a true contest.
a disproportionate share of something is higher than it should be because the thing has not been shared equally: · Children who disrupt lessons at school take up a disproportionate amount of the teacher's time.· The report shows that a disproportionate number of black women do unskilled, low-paid work.· The richest areas of the country are getting a disproportionate share of government grants.
a state in which two things are not equal, especially if this is unfair or causes problems: · Eighty per cent of our wealth belongs to five per cent of the people, and there's no legislation to counter this imbalance.· At the higher levels of management, there's definitely a gender imbalance.imbalance between: · The economy is failing because of the great imbalance between imports and exports.imbalance in/of: · the imbalance of power between women and men in nineteenth-century America· The company was ordered to remedy the racial imbalance in its workforce.
not having equal rights when people do not have the same rights or opportunities in their education, their jobs etc, because of their sex, race, or social class: · The report looks at inequality in education.· There are still a lot of inequalities in society.social/sexual/racial inequality: · Social inequality tended to increase rather than lessen in the 1980s.
when people are treated unfairly because of their race, sex, age etc: · Federal law forbids discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or color. · Immigrants faced harassment and discrimination, and were paid considerably less than their white colleagues.discrimination against: · Laws have got to be tougher to stop discrimination against the disabled.· In 1974 IBM became the first American company to bar discrimination against gay workers. discrimination in: · They managed to reform American law, and ban racial and religious discrimination in housing, schools, and the workplace.racial/sex/age discrimination: · The most common victims of age discrimination are employees in their mid-50s.· The company was found guilty of racial discrimination, and was ordered to renew Ms. Jayalalitha's employment contract. anti-discrimination law/legislation/policy (=a law etc that forbids discrimination): · An insurance company is being investigated under federal anti-discrimination laws for refusing home insurance to a black Ohio couple.
unequal treatment, relationships, conditions etc are unfair to some of the people involved because they do not have equal rights or advantages: · The unequal distribution of wealth is a feature of our system of government.· When people are forced to compete on unequal terms they become resentful.· It was an unequal relationship. He was rich, powerful and experienced -- I was very young and naive.
WORD SETSabacus, nounalgebra, nounangle, nounarc, nounarea, nounarithmetic, nounarithmetic, adjectivearithmetic progression, nounaxis, nounbar chart, nounbar graph, nounbase, nounbinomial, nounbisect, verbBoolean, adjectiveC, nouncalculator, nouncalculus, nouncanonical, adjectivechord, nouncipher, nouncircumference, nouncircumscribe, verbcompass, nouncomplementary, adjectivecomputation, nouncompute, verbconcentric, adjectivecone, nouncongruent, adjectiveconical, adjectiveconstant, nouncontain, verbcoordinate, nouncoordinate, adjectivecos, cosine, nouncube, nouncubic, adjectivecurvature, nouncurve, nouncut, verbdeci-, prefixdeviation, noundiagonal, adjectivediameter, noundifferential calculus, noundigit, noundimension, noundomain, nouneccentric, adjectiveellipse, nounelliptical, adjectiveequal, adjectiveequal, verbequals sign, nounequation, nounequilateral triangle, nounexponential, adjectiveexpress, verbexpression, nounface, nounfigure, nounflow chart, nounformula, nounfraction, nounfractional, adjectivefunction, noungeometric, adjectivegeometry, noungraph, noungraphically, adverbgraph paper, noungrid, nounHCF, helix, nounheptagon, nounhexagon, nounhistogram, nounhypotenuse, nounimperial, adjectiveimproper fraction, nouninfinity, nouninformation theory, nouninnumerate, adjectiveinto, prepositioninverse, adjectiveisosceles triangle, nounline graph, log, nounlogarithm, nounlong division, nounlozenge, nounmath, nounmathematical, adjectivemathematician, nounmathematics, nounmatrix, nounmean, adjectivemedian, nounmedian, adjectivemetric, adjectiveminus, prepositionminus, nounminus, adjectiveminus sign, nounminute, nounmultiplication, nounmultiplication sign, nounmultiplication table, nounmultiply, verbN, nounnumber, nounnumerate, adjectivenumeration, nounoblong, adjectiveobtuse angle, nounoctagon, nounoval, nounparabola, nounparallel, adjectiveparallelogram, nounpentagon, nounpercentage, nounperimeter, nounperpendicular, nounpi, nounpictogram, nounpie chart, nounplane, nounplane geometry, nounplus, prepositionplus, nounplus, adjectiveplus sign, nounpolygon, nounpolyhedron, nounpower, nounprism, nounprobability, nounproof, nounproportion, nounproposition, nounprotractor, nounquadrangle, nounquadrant, nounquadratic equation, nounquadri-, prefixquadrilateral, nounradius, nounratio, nounrectangle, nounrectilinear, adjectiverecur, verbrhombus, nounright angle, nounright-angled triangle, nounroot, nounruler, nounscale, nounscalene triangle, nounscatter diagram, section, nounsegment, nounsemicircle, nounset square, nounsine, nounslide rule, nounsolid, adjectivesolid, nounsolution, nounsolve, verbsphere, nounsquare, adjectivesquare, nounsquare, verbsquare, adverbsquarely, adverbsquare root, nounsubset, nounsubtract, verbsubtraction, nounsum, nounsurface area, nounsymmetrical, adjectivesymmetry, nountangent, nounterm, nountheorem, nounthreefold, adjectivetimes, prepositiontrapezium, nountriangle, nountrigonometry, nountwo-dimensional, adjectivevalue, nounvariable, nounvector, nounVenn diagram, nounvertex, nounvertical, adjectivevolume, nounwork, verbX, nounx-axis, nouny-axis, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES two rocks of roughly equal size
British English (=one in which everyone has the same chance of winning)· One of the men was much older so it was hardly an even contest.
(=in the same state or condition as other people or things) The new law puts women on an equal legal footing with men. Many of the old polytechnics are now on the same footing as universities.
The new law puts women on an equal legal footing with men. Many of the old polytechnics are now on the same footing as universities.· When applying for a job, qualifications and experience are often of equal importance.
· She drew two lines of equal length.
· I cut the orange into four equal parts.
· They regard marriage as an equal partnership.
(=the same pay for the same type of work)· The women at the factory went on strike for equal pay.
· Each new baby has an approximately equal probability of inheriting maleness or femaleness.
(also tie a record American English) (=do as well as the record)· Woods equalled the course record and finished eleven under par.· Davis tied a team record by hitting six field goals.
· Women demanded equal rights.
two rocks of roughly equal size· Workers of equal status should be rewarded equally.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· The two phases are in dynamic equilibrium when the rate of evaporation equals the rate of condensation.· Steady state describes the condition in which the rate of drug elimination equals the rate of input into the body.· That is, the rate of substitution equals the neutral mutation rate.
· Gavin Hastings topped Phil Bennett's overall for a Lions' scorer with his 18 points and equalled another record.· In Lievin, she equalled the record in 7.69sec.· University awards at Oxbridge in 1973 equalled the 1954 record, with five Scholarships and Exhibitions.· In addition, I had equalled Peter Little's record with 21. 8 seconds.· At that stage Canterbury had just equalled the old defence record of 25, set by Auckland in 1960-63.
· The energy of two friends equals more than the sum of their individual parts.· Using the double-entry accounting system, the sum of the debits must always equal the sum of the credits.
· So returns will be more stable on a share with a higher dividend yield, other things being equal.· All things being equal, Casey and Carla Allender are.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- Holding's 28 wickets were equalled by Andy Roberts.
- Indeed, in many respects, Ireland was equalled only by Byzantium.
- She seemed in no hurry to have them come, for her patience was equalled by her confidence.
- She was a woman without vision or curiosity; her distaste for books was equalled only by her dislike of people.
- The pleasures of driving our GTi are equalled only by the irritations.
- The savagery which he showed towards his opponents was equalled only by that of the discipline that he imposed upon his supporters.
- This amount is equalled by naturally forming sulphur that originates mainly from volcanoes and huge clusters of marine bacteria.
- But Aggie was first among equals.
- Cash is the first among equals.
- The prime minister was primus inter pares in the cabinet-the first among equals.
- Let c equal 6.
- Advertising proved a more fertile category, with decisions which set heads nodding and shaking in equal measure.
- Bishop had known what was happening: the Guild of Adjudicators was famed and feared in equal measure amongst the Earth colonies.
- Blanche was irritated and entertained by his nervous chatter in equal measure.
- By avoiding tax, you can enjoy power and luxury in equal measure.
- He was jeered and cheered in equal measure by a group of about 100 students at the entrance.
- Her doubts about its truth do not, in equal measure, dislodge her belief.
- I was angry and embarrassed in equal measure and hated them.
- Neil Young commands fear and respect in equal measure.
- Both snail genes and fluke genes stand to gain from the snail's bodily survival, all other things being equal.
- But all things being equal, most movie makers would like their facts to be right.
- But all other things being equal, the gay and lesbian community has responded well to examples of perceived corporate goodwill.
- It shows the quantities of a product which will be demanded at various prices, all other things being equal.
- Significant improvements in clarity and stereo imaging are amongst the more obvious benefits of such parity, all other things being equal.
- The bright chestnut is considered the most characteristic colour and, all other things being equal, the one to be preferred.
WORD FAMILYnounequality ≠ inequalityequalequalizerverbequalizeequaladjectiveequal ≠ unequaladverbequally ≠ unequally
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.3be 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.equal1 adjectiveequal2 verbequal3 noun
equalequal3 ●○○ noun [countable] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Most women these days want marriage to be a partnership of equals.
- My boss treats her employees as equals.
- The police have a duty to treat all members of the community as equals.
- But Aggie was first among equals.
- Criticism, I take it, is an activity that occurs between equals, whatever its object.
- Hence OCy equals home consumption of food, and OCx equals home consumption of manufactured products.
- It started with Milken growing angry because Gutfreund refused to speak to him as an equal.
- Mutual respect grows out of exchanges between individuals considered as equals.
- Northern Ireland Conservatives might expect to be treated as equals.
- Should you not claim to be at least his equal in prowess, and act upon the claim?
Longman Language Activatorthe same in number, amount, level etc as something else
· You should spend an equal amount of time on each question in the test. · Dilute the syrup with an equal volume of water, stir and serve with ice.equal to · 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.of equal size/length/weight/power/strength etc · When facing an opponent of equal strength, Barker's speed gives her a big advantage.
something that is as old, strong, long etc as something else is of equal age, strength, length etc: · At fourteen Jeremy was already as tall as his father.· The nation was once more as strong as the other major powers in Europe.· Harry was lively and intelligent, but not as good-looking as his older brother.
if two amounts, levels etc are the same they are equal: · The northern route is longer than the southern one, but the fare is the same.· The experiment was repeated by Professor Schwartz, and the results were the same.be the same size/weight/power etc: · The two cars are roughly the same size, and have similar engines.be the same height/age etc as: · Her sister is the same age as me.exactly/roughly the same: · We're both exactly the same height.
something such as an amount, level, or quantity that is equivalent to something else has an equal effect or result but is not completely the same as it: · If these prizes are not in stock we will send you an equivalent gift of the same value.equivalent to: · The volcanic eruption on Krakatoa had an explosive power equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT.· Unemployed workers receive welfare payments and rent assistance equivalent to 50% of their usual income.
to be exactly equal to a number, amount, or level - used especially in technical or scientific contexts: · Air pressure at sea level equals 1.03kg per square centimetre.· The most efficient basis for the trade of goods is when demand equals supply.
to be equal in number or amount to something that is itself already very high or very great: · The only cars which could match the acceleration of the Ferraris were the Shelby Cobras and Aston Martins.· Forming alliances with other countries was the only way to match the power of the enemy.
to increase quickly enough to remain equal to something else which is also increasing quickly: · There has been a constant expansion of the city boundaries to keep pace with a growing population.· Working-class incomes have generally kept pace with increases in the cost of living.
having equal rights people who are equal have the same rights as each other and are treated in the same way as each other; if people get equal treatment, pay etc, they are all treated in the same way or get paid the same money: · Democracy is based on the idea that all members of society are equal.equal rights (=the idea that all types of people in society should have the same rights and should be treated fairly and equally): · Black protestors campaigned for equal rights throughout the 1960s.equal opportunities (=the idea that all types of people in society should have the same chances of employment): · Companies are being urged to do more to promote equal opportunities in the workplace.equal pay: · The Treaty of Rome states that men and women shall receive equal pay for equal work.
when all people have the same rights and opportunities in society and are treated equally: · Greater equality was one of the aims of the post-war government.racial/sexual equality: · the struggle for sexual equality· It will take more than laws to bring about genuine racial equality.
people, countries, or organizations that are on an equal footing in a particular situation are being treated as equal, even though this would not happen in other places or situations: · It's the beginning of the course, so you're all on an equal footing.place/put somebody on an equal footing (=treat them in the same way): · It wasn't until 1928, that divorce laws were reformed to put men and women on an equal footing.
someone who has the same rights, advantages, and position in society as someone else, with the result that they can have equal respect for each other: · Most women these days want marriage to be a partnership of equals.treat people as equals (=show equal respect to all people): · The police have a duty to treat all members of the community as equals.
someone who has the same background or position in society as you - used especially in technical or official contexts: · The jury system gives you the basic right to be judged by your peers.· Everyone wants to be successful in the eyes of their peers.· At about three years old, children begin to take an interest in their peers.
formal the state of being measurably equal, for example by receiving equal wages or having equal numbers of jobs as another group - used especially in political contexts: parity with: · Part-time workers are demanding parity with their full-time colleagues.· Middle class blacks in the US have not yet achieved parity with whites in graduate school entries.
equal in quality, standard, or ability · I don't think she ever recorded a song as good as "Stormy Weather".· They say that the new Argentinian striker will be as good as Maradona.· "How's the strawberry flavor?" "It's OK, but not as good as the chocolate one."
to be as good or as important as all the other things that are available: be equal to anyone/anything: · There's no doubt that she can produce work that is equal to anyone else's in her class.· The architecture here is equal to anything found in Florence or Rome.
: equally strong/good/difficult etc equal in strength, quality etc: · Chantal Johnson was brought up in Canada, and is equally fluent in French and English.· The meat can then be baked, grilled, or sautéed with equally good results.· Danny has great skill as a football player, and, equally important, the determination that you need to succeed.
to be as good as something else or equal in size, speed, power etc: · No one has ever equalled her performance as Juliet.· The cloth dyers of ancient Tyre produced beautiful colours that have never been equalled by even the finest synthetic dyes.be matched/equalled only by something: · The facilities at the club were only matched by one or two other clubs in Europe.
to be almost as good, impressive, or successful as something that is very good, impressive etc: · The college's facilities rival those of Harvard or Yale.rival something in something: · The new aeroplane would rival its competitors in terms of noise, range and versatility.· The prince built a vast palace, rivalling Versailles in size and opulence.
to be as good or almost as good as something that is very good: · The acquisition of Walker puts the company on a par with its rivals in France and Germany.· Donald showed up with a woman called Pandora, whose beauty was on a par with any film star.
if competitors or opponents are evenly matched they have almost equal ability, so a game or competition between them will be very even: · The two wrestlers were evenly matched.· It seems that the teams are pretty evenly matched, but the French players are probably more experienced.
British you say there's nothing to choose between two things or people when they are both equally good and you cannot say which is better: · After the interviews we had to admit there was nothing to choose between the two candidates.· There's really nothing to choose between the performance of these two cars.
to be in an equal position in a game, competition etc if two of the competitors in a game or competition tie , they get the same number of points: be tied: · The two teams are tied with two games a piece.tie for: · Woosnam and Lyle tied for fourth place on 264.tie with: · I won the first competition and tied with Wilson in the second.
British two teams or competitors that are level at a particular moment in a game or competition have the same number of points: · They scored in the eighth minute but four minutes later we were level.· If the scores are level after 90 minutes, extra time will be played.be level with: · Thanks to today's victory they are level with their main rivals, AC Milan, at the top of the Italian league.draw level (=get enough points to be level): · Brazil were in the lead, until Argentina drew level at the half-time whistle.
also be level pegging British informal use this when two people, horses etc are doing equally well in a race or competition, so that it is impossible to guess who will win: · The two horses are running neck and neck.· For three miles now both yachts have been neck and neck.· The Republicans and Democrats are neck and neck in the opinion polls.· The poll shows the two main parties level pegging, with 33% of the vote each.
especially British a game in which both opponents or teams have equal points at the end, so that neither wins: · Neither side has scored. It looks as if it's going to be another draw.· Last week's draw was a bad result for Arsenal, putting Manchester United ahead of them in the league.end in a draw (=finish with scores equal): · If the final ends in a draw, the game will be decided on penalties.
British to finish a game with the same number of points as your opponent, so that neither of you wins: · "Did you win?'' "No, we drew.''draw with: · Real Madrid drew with Barcelona in the last game of the season.draw a game/match: · The Australian rugby team drew the first game of their European tour, sixteen-all against France at Lyon.
spoken say this when both players or teams have two points, four points etc in a game: · It's two all at the moment, but Germany seems the better team.· "What was the final score?" "One all."
a finish to a race between horses, dogs, or people that is very nearly equal so that it is extremely difficult to say who has won: · It's a photo finish -- we'll have to bring in the judges to decide the winner.· After a very close-run race, it ended in a photo finish.
if the result of a competition, election, race etc is too close to call , the people taking part in it are equally successful, so there is no clear winner: · The exit polls suggest that the election may well be too close to call.
to make two numbers, amounts, situations etc equal · As a parent trying to balance home and career, it's very difficult to find time for a social life.balance something with something · No government so far has been able to balance the number of jobs available with the number of people out of work.
also equalise British to change things so that people are treated equally, especially in their employment: · The Association of Women Teachers in New York fought to equalize male and female pay.· Miners demanded a standard rate throughout the country to equalize wages.
if two amounts, numbers etc balance out , they become equal or have an equal effect, especially if this happens over a fairly long period of time: · Sometimes we have a slight loss and sometimes a slight surplus, but over time they balance out.· Sometimes I do the cooking and sometimes John does - so in the end it all balances out.
if two amounts, or levels even out or you even them out , the differences between them gradually become smaller: even out something: · On cold days the device periodically provides a burst of hot air, to even out the air temperature.even something out: · We want to even the workload out a little, so that no one has more than they can handle.
to achieve a situation in which you give the correct amount of attention and importance to two opposing activities or ideas: · Most reporters are either violently for or violently against the government, but some try to strike a balance.strike a balance between: · School children have to learn to strike a balance between work and play.· Prison reformers are trying to strike a balance between punishing offenders and helping them to avoid repeating their offences.
to make a situation equal or fair again after it has not been fair or equal: · Eventually, if the population of one species rises too much a new epidemic will come along to redress the balance.· Gypsies have often been portrayed as lawless savages, and the film tries to redress the balance by showing their culture as it really is.
to replace or balance something good that has been lost or something bad that has been done, by providing or doing something good: · Nothing they can do will make up for the damage they have caused.· He had to work twice as hard as the other children to make up for his lack of natural ability.more than make up for (=make up for something very well): · The weather was a bit cold, but the beautiful scenery more than made up for it.
to replace or balance something good that has been lost or is lacking, by providing or doing something equally good: · Ray tries to compensate for his shyness by telling a lot of jokes.· It is hoped that the new car's style and design will compensate for its lack of speed.· Failures in this area will have to be compensated for by successes in other areas.
when two amounts, levels, etc are equal: balance between · Take care to achieve a balance between career and home life.· Migration plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance between population and resources.strike a balance/strike the right balance (=succeed in finding a balance) · When dealing with his staff, Mr Allen somehow managed to strike the right balance between being sympathetic and businesslike. upset the balance (=change and harm the balance) · The biological balance is upset by over-intensive farming.
a state in which two or more forces, such as temperature and pressure, remain at a particular level, but would all change if any one of them were changed - used especially in technical or scientific contexts: maintain an equilibrium: · The operation of the free market maintains an equilibrium between supply, demand and price.be in equilibrium (=be balanced, equal etc): · The temperature at which the solid and liquid are in equilibrium is called the freezing point.
when something has an equal but opposite effect if one thing cancels out another, it has an opposite effect to it, so that the situation does not change: · The new tuition fees mean that increases in student grants are effectively cancelled out.cancel each other out/cancel one another out: · Two waves coming from opposite directions will cancel each other out.· Capital gains and losses can be expected to cancel one another out.
if something such as a cost or a sum of money offsets another cost, sum etc, it has an opposite effect so that the situation remains unchanged: · The savings on staff wages are offset by the increased maintenance costs.· $3000 was spent in US schools to offset the disadvantages of about 6 million school children.
to have an equal and opposite effect to something such as a change, an influence, or a feeling: · Fortunately there are strong democratic forces in the country that counterbalance any extremist influences.· His fear of his father is counterbalanced by a genuine respect for him.
British spoken use this to say that although a particular method, decision, situation etc might give you an advantage, it will also involve an equal disadvantage: · Well, it's a case of swings and roundabouts really. You win some, you lose some.· The global economy can cut both ways, as some of a country's industries benefit from increased opportunity, and others lose to overseas competition.
not equal in number, amount, level etc · People are paid unequal amounts because they have unequal talents.of unequal size/length etc · two pieces of wood of unequal lengthunequal in size/length etc · The boxers were so unequal in size that it was never really a true contest.
a disproportionate share of something is higher than it should be because the thing has not been shared equally: · Children who disrupt lessons at school take up a disproportionate amount of the teacher's time.· The report shows that a disproportionate number of black women do unskilled, low-paid work.· The richest areas of the country are getting a disproportionate share of government grants.
a state in which two things are not equal, especially if this is unfair or causes problems: · Eighty per cent of our wealth belongs to five per cent of the people, and there's no legislation to counter this imbalance.· At the higher levels of management, there's definitely a gender imbalance.imbalance between: · The economy is failing because of the great imbalance between imports and exports.imbalance in/of: · the imbalance of power between women and men in nineteenth-century America· The company was ordered to remedy the racial imbalance in its workforce.
not having equal rights when people do not have the same rights or opportunities in their education, their jobs etc, because of their sex, race, or social class: · The report looks at inequality in education.· There are still a lot of inequalities in society.social/sexual/racial inequality: · Social inequality tended to increase rather than lessen in the 1980s.
when people are treated unfairly because of their race, sex, age etc: · Federal law forbids discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or color. · Immigrants faced harassment and discrimination, and were paid considerably less than their white colleagues.discrimination against: · Laws have got to be tougher to stop discrimination against the disabled.· In 1974 IBM became the first American company to bar discrimination against gay workers. discrimination in: · They managed to reform American law, and ban racial and religious discrimination in housing, schools, and the workplace.racial/sex/age discrimination: · The most common victims of age discrimination are employees in their mid-50s.· The company was found guilty of racial discrimination, and was ordered to renew Ms. Jayalalitha's employment contract. anti-discrimination law/legislation/policy (=a law etc that forbids discrimination): · An insurance company is being investigated under federal anti-discrimination laws for refusing home insurance to a black Ohio couple.
unequal treatment, relationships, conditions etc are unfair to some of the people involved because they do not have equal rights or advantages: · The unequal distribution of wealth is a feature of our system of government.· When people are forced to compete on unequal terms they become resentful.· It was an unequal relationship. He was rich, powerful and experienced -- I was very young and naive.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES two rocks of roughly equal size
British English (=one in which everyone has the same chance of winning)· One of the men was much older so it was hardly an even contest.
(=in the same state or condition as other people or things) The new law puts women on an equal legal footing with men. Many of the old polytechnics are now on the same footing as universities.
The new law puts women on an equal legal footing with men. Many of the old polytechnics are now on the same footing as universities.· When applying for a job, qualifications and experience are often of equal importance.
· She drew two lines of equal length.
· I cut the orange into four equal parts.
· They regard marriage as an equal partnership.
(=the same pay for the same type of work)· The women at the factory went on strike for equal pay.
· Each new baby has an approximately equal probability of inheriting maleness or femaleness.
(also tie a record American English) (=do as well as the record)· Woods equalled the course record and finished eleven under par.· Davis tied a team record by hitting six field goals.
· Women demanded equal rights.
two rocks of roughly equal size· Workers of equal status should be rewarded equally.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB· Northern Ireland Conservatives might expect to be treated as equals.· I tended to treat people more as equals than I should have-equal time, equal help....
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- All types of medicines reputed to be the equal of branded goods except that generally they were just a load of rubbish.
- Deneb is exceptionally luminous, and is the equal of at least 60000 Suns.
- His control was the equal of Mushtaq Ahmed's and his variations were finely applied.
- It would be an extensive and sometimes brutal business, but the Society was the equal of the challenge.
- People is the equal of Novocain any day, and, as a bonus, there are no needles.
- Since one woman is the equal of any other, woman-centred psychologists can claim the right to represent the rest.
- The facilities for e-mail, file transfers and newsgroup messages are the equal of most Internet software packages on the market.
- Who on the allied side was the equal of any one of them?
- His paintings are without equal in the Western world.
- As a family holiday destination, Bournemouth is without equal.
- His attention to detail is legendary and as a strategist he is without equal.
- His musical prowess still undiminished at 65, he is without equal when it comes to instrumental excellence and stylistic versatility.
- If Richter's Brahms is a revelation, then his playing of Liszt is without equal.
- But Aggie was first among equals.
- Cash is the first among equals.
- The prime minister was primus inter pares in the cabinet-the first among equals.
- Let c equal 6.
- Advertising proved a more fertile category, with decisions which set heads nodding and shaking in equal measure.
- Bishop had known what was happening: the Guild of Adjudicators was famed and feared in equal measure amongst the Earth colonies.
- Blanche was irritated and entertained by his nervous chatter in equal measure.
- By avoiding tax, you can enjoy power and luxury in equal measure.
- He was jeered and cheered in equal measure by a group of about 100 students at the entrance.
- Her doubts about its truth do not, in equal measure, dislodge her belief.
- I was angry and embarrassed in equal measure and hated them.
- Neil Young commands fear and respect in equal measure.
- Both snail genes and fluke genes stand to gain from the snail's bodily survival, all other things being equal.
- But all things being equal, most movie makers would like their facts to be right.
- But all other things being equal, the gay and lesbian community has responded well to examples of perceived corporate goodwill.
- It shows the quantities of a product which will be demanded at various prices, all other things being equal.
- Significant improvements in clarity and stereo imaging are amongst the more obvious benefits of such parity, all other things being equal.
- The bright chestnut is considered the most characteristic colour and, all other things being equal, the one to be preferred.
WORD FAMILYnounequality ≠ inequalityequalequalizerverbequalizeequaladjectiveequal ≠ unequaladverbequally ≠ unequally
1someone 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 equalsequal in She wasn’t his equal in intelligence.2be 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.3be without equal (also have no equal) formal to be better than everyone or everything else of the same type: His paintings are without equal.