e‧qual S1 W2 / ikwəl / 形容词 #

1 same the same in size, number, amount, value etc as something else → equivalent

equal 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 etc

equal to

The rent was equal to half his monthly income.

2 same 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.

3 be equal to something

a) to have the ability to deal with a problem, piece of work etc successfully 同义词 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.

4 on 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.

5 all (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

副词

exactly 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.

名词

an equal number/amount Both candidates received an equal number of votes.

短语

be 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

名词

equal 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.

短语

be born equal It is a myth that all men are born equal.

be created equal They believe that everyone is created equal by God.

THESAURUS

the same 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.

just like/exactly like 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 identical things are exactly the same in every way : The tablets were identical in size, shape, and colour. | identical names

indistinguishable 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.

equal 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.

be no different from somebody/something 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.

can’t tell the difference ( 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.

equal S2 verb ( past tense and past participle equalled , present participle equalling British English , equaled , equaling American English ) #

1 [连系动词] 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 [及物动词] to be as good as something else, or get to the same standard as someone or something else :
Thompson equalled the world record. 3 be 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 [及物动词] to produce a particular result or effect :
A highly-trained workforce equals high productivity.

equal noun [可数名词] #

1 someone 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 equals equal in She wasn’t his equal in intelligence. 2 be 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. 3 be without equal ( also have no equal ) formal to be better than everyone or everything else of the same type :
His paintings are without equal.