What does equalled mean?
Equalled is the past tense and past participle of the verb equal, meaning that something was the same as something else in amount, value, or degree, or that someone matched an achievement previously set by another. A runner who equalled a world record performed exactly as well as the record-holder; an invoice that equalled the estimate came to precisely the same sum. The spelling with a double "l" marks it as British English — American writers normally use "equaled." The word carries a tone of precision when describing amounts and one of admiration when describing accomplishments, particularly in phrases such as "a feat never equalled." Its cognates — equality, equation, adequate — all descend from the same Latin root meaning level or even, which makes equalled part of a family of words concerned with balance and sameness.
verb (past tense and past participle of 'equal')The past tense and past participle of the verb "equal," meaning to be the same in quantity, degree, or value as something else, or to match or rival someone or something in achievement. In British English it is spelled with a double "l"; American English typically uses "equaled."
- To be identical or equivalent in quantity, value, or degree to something else.
- To match or be as good as another person's achievement or performance.
"No modern athlete has equalled her record of seven consecutive titles."
"The final bill equalled more than a month's rent."
"Her debut novel equalled anything her mentor had ever written."
That second "l" is a quiet badge of geography: write "equalled" and you signal British English, write "equaled" and you're unmistakably American.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of equalled
The verb equal comes from the Latin adjective aequalis, meaning uniform or level, itself derived from aequare, "to make even," from aequus, "even or fair." English borrowed the verb from French égaler in the late sixteenth century. The doubled-l past tense reflects standard British inflection of verbs ending in vowel plus "l," while American English simplified the consonant. Cognates sharing the Latin root include equality, equation, equator, and adequate.
How equalled is actually used
"Equalled" follows British double-consonant spelling conventions for verbs ending in a stressed vowel plus "l" (compare "travelled," "cancelled"). It appears in both formal and neutral registers and is especially common in sports reporting and discussions of records and achievements.
Easily confused with equalled
"Equalled" is the standard British spelling, while "equaled" is the standard American spelling of the same verb form.