equate
- 01 C1 Advanced
v.to think that two things are the same or have the same importance.
v.to consider or describe one thing as being equivalent to another. Often used in the passive voice or with the preposition 'with'.
Simple“Many people equate wealth with happiness, but that is not always true.”
In context“The report warns against the tendency to equate high test scores exclusively with academic intelligence, ignoring other vital cognitive skills.”
UsageCommonly used in the pattern 'equate X with Y'.
PitfallYou cannot equate this situation to that one. You cannot equate this situation with that one.While 'to' is sometimes used, 'equate with' is the standard academic collocation for comparing two things.
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
v.to make two things equal in size, amount, or value.
v.to make two or more quantities or entities equal. This sense is frequently used in mathematical or technical contexts.
Simple“The new law aims to equate the rights of part-time and full-time workers.”
In context“In the final step of the proof, the mathematician had to equate the two variables to solve for the unknown constant.”
UsageOften used as a transitive verb taking a direct object.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a command in computer code that gives a name to a specific number or value.
n.a statement in assembly language that defines a symbol as having a specific value. This is a highly specialized technical term.
Simple“The programmer used an equate to define the memory address for the screen.”
In context“By using an equate for the port address, the developer made the assembly code much easier to read and maintain.”
UsageUsed as a countable noun in low-level programming contexts.
Teacher's tipThis sense is very rare outside of assembly language programming; general learners should focus on the verb forms.
Synonyms
“Poor outcomes do not necessarily equate to poor care.”
“She has also exposed the vast profit made by private accommodation providers thanks to Home Office cash, such as Clearsprings, equating to £146 a minute over five years – yes, you read that right.”
From Middle English equaten, from Latin aequātus, perfect passive participle of aequō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.