equate

Equate is a verb meaning to regard, represent, or treat two things as equal in value, quantity, significance, or status. It can also mean to bring two expressions or ideas into a stated equivalence. The term derives from Latin aequare "to make equal," via Old French equater, and entered English in the late Middle Ages. The noun form equation shares the same root and refers to a statement asserting that two expressions are equal.

In mathematics and logic, equate often appears in phrases such as "to equate two expressions," which means to set them equal or to substitute one for the other in solving an equation. In everyday language, people might equate wealth with happiness, prestige with virtue, or a symbol with a concept, which is a rhetorical use that equates disparate ideas. In computing, the sense is similar when comparing values; however, programmers typically use explicit operators (such as '=' or '==') rather than the verb "equate."

Word usage notes: equate implies a declared or assumed sameness rather than a physical or objective identity in all respects; it can be criticized for oversimplification when two things are only partially similar. The term is distinct from "equal" (adjective or verb indicating exact equality) and from "equivalence" (a broader relation).