/ ɪˈkwɪvələnt; NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective
equivalent (to sth) equal in value, amount, meaning, importance, etc. :
Eight kilometres is roughly equivalent to five miles.
250 grams or an equivalent amount in ounces
► equiva·lence / -ləns; NAmE / noun [ U ] ( formal ):
There is no straightforward equivalence between economic progress and social well-being.
■ noun
~ (of / to sth) a thing, amount, word, etc. that is equivalent to sth else :
Send €20 or the equivalent in your own currency.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human equivalent of BSE
The German 'Gymnasium' is the closest equivalent to the grammar school in England.
Breathing such polluted air is the equivalent of (= has the same effect as) smoking ten cigarettes a day.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (describing persons who were equal in power or rank): via Old French from late Latin aequivalent- being of equal worth, from the verb aequivalere , from aequi- equally + valere be worth.