Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - equivalent

 adjective  Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin a~-, aequivalens, present participle of aequivalere to have equal power, from Latin aequi- + valere to be strong — more at wield  Date: 15th century  1. equal in force, amount, or value; also equal in area or volume but not superposable a square ~ to a triangle  2.  a. like in signification or import  b. having logical equivalence ~ statements  3. corresponding or virtually identical especially in effect or function  4. obsolete equal in might or authority  5. having the same chemical combining capacity ~ quantities of two elements  6.  a. having the same solution set ~ equations  b. capable of being placed in one-to-one correspondence ~ sets  c. related by an equivalence relation  Synonyms: see same  • ~ noun  • ~ly adverb