Equivalent
/ɪˈkwɪvələnt/noun
Equal in value, amount, function, or meaning.
Did you know?It comes from Latin roots used in weighing and valuation: aequus meant “equal,” and valēre meant “to be strong, be worth,” so the word began as a concept of balanced worth, not just similarity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eyḱ-
“sharp, pointed; later developed into notions of straightness and equality in Latin”
Latin
Latin
aequus
“level, even, equal”
Latin
Latin
valēre
“to be strong, be worth, be of value”
Late Latin
Latin
aequivalēns
“being of equal worth or force”
14th Century
Middle English
equivalent
“equal in value, force, or effect”
Modern English
English
equivalent
“equal in value, amount, function, or meaning”