néquivaut

Néquivaut is a term that appears in French texts as a contracted negation of the verb équivaut. In standard orthography, the negated form is written n'équivaut pas, using the verb équivaloir (to be equivalent) and the negation ne... pas. The spelling néquivaut (without the apostrophe after n) is generally considered nonstandard in contemporary French and is typically attributed to typographical variants or older typography. When used correctly, the form refers to the third-person singular present indicative of équivaloir in its negative.

The verb équivaloir means to be equivalent or to amount to something; it governs the preposition à when establishing equivalence to another thing (équivaut à). The construction n'équivaut pas à X expresses that something does not amount to or is not equal to X. This can appear in arguments, analyses, or explanations where a claim is disputed by noting a lack of true equivalence or sufficiency.

Usage and nuance: n'équivaut pas as a negation emphasizes that a given item, result, or argument does not meet the criterion of being equivalent to another. It is common in formal or precise prose, including mathematics, law, philosophy, or critical discourse. The affirmative équivaut to is more frequently found in practical statements.

Related terms include équivalent, équivalence, and équivaloir. The phrase commonly used with néquivaut is néquivaut pas à, or simply n'équivaut pas, followed by the thing to which equivalence is being compared.