What does equating mean?
Equating is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'equate,' which means to regard, treat, or represent one thing as equal or equivalent to another in value, meaning, quality, or effect. It appears constantly in analytical writing and everyday argument: we speak of equating wealth with success, equating silence with consent, or equating price with quality. Because such judgments are often contestable, the word frequently carries a note of critique — writers use it to flag reasoning they consider simplistic or misleading, as in 'wrongly equating correlation with causation.' In mathematics, equating can also mean setting two expressions equal to form an equation. Derived from Latin aequus ('level' or 'fair'), via the Latin aequare, it belongs to a productive family that includes equal, adequate, and equation, making it a precise and versatile tool for discussing comparison and equivalence.
Regarding or treating one thing as equal or equivalent to another in value, meaning, or effect.
"He was criticized for equating hard work with moral virtue."
Typically takes the pattern 'equate X with Y'; 'equate X to Y' is also accepted.
The act or process of considering things equivalent.
"The equating of patriotism with obedience troubles many political thinkers."
When you equate two things, you're literally making them 'even' — the word traces straight back to Latin aequus, the same root that gives us 'equal' and even the Equator itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of equating
Equating derives from the verb 'equate,' borrowed into English from the Latin aequare, meaning 'to make level or equal,' itself built on aequus, meaning 'level, even, or fair.' The verb entered English in the early 17th century, and its participial form followed naturally. It shares this Latin root with a wide family of English words including 'equal,' 'adequate,' 'equation,' and 'equator.'
Related word forms
How equating is actually used
Register is neutral to slightly formal. The verb most often appears in the pattern 'equate X with Y' or 'equate X to Y'; it frequently carries a critical or skeptical connotation when describing someone's reasoning, as in 'wrongly equating correlation with causation.'
Easily confused with equating
'Equating' is the verbal act of treating things as equivalent, while an 'equation' is either a mathematical statement of equality or the state of being regarded as equivalent.