Coequal

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kəʊˈiːkwəl/

Definitions

1. Possessing the same level of status, rank, or significance among individuals or groups
2. Existing at an equal level with others, particularly regarding importance or authority in various contexts
3. Having identical standing or importance compared to another person or group

Etymology: Coequal is a plain compound: the prefix "co-", meaning "together" or "jointly", attached to "equal." The Latin source, "coaequālis," joined "co-" to "aequālis," meaning "equal" or "of the same age," and English took the word from Middle English "coequalle" in its straightforward sense of two things standing on the same footing. The "co-" prefix does the real work here. It means "with" or "mutually," so a coequal is not merely equal to something, but equal alongside another party, the way two business partners or two branches of a government can share the same authority. The word therefore describes a relationship rather than a quality an object possesses on its own.

Synonyms: equal, equivalent, peer, counterpart, comparable

Antonyms: unequal, inferior, superior