equal2 S2 past tense and past participle equalled, present participle equalling British English, past tense and past participle equaled, present participle equaling American English
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.
to be as good as something else, or get to the same standard as someone or something else:
Thompson equalled the world record.
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.
to produce a particular result or effect:
A highly-trained workforce equals high productivity.