Equation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪˈkweɪ.ʒən/

Definitions

1. A mathematical statement showing that two expressions have equal value, typically containing variables that must be solved
2. A mathematical representation that asserts the equality of two expressions, often involving unknown variables that require evaluation to find specific values
3. A formal expression indicating that two quantities or mathematical entities are equal, usually containing variables that need to be determined

Etymology: The word "equation" comes to English from Old French, which took it from the Latin "aequātiō," meaning "an equalizing." The Latin noun grew from the verb "aequāre," to make equal, and the sense is literal: an equation makes two things balance. The English word keeps that core idea, since a mathematical equation asserts that one expression is equal to another. The English verb "equate" sits at the root of the noun. Its ending, "-ion," turns an action into a thing: to equate two quantities is to perform an equation, and the result is the statement that the two are the same. So the word carries its original action in its structure, with a verb meaning to make equal turned into a noun for the act of making equal.

Synonyms: formula, expression, identity, statement, proposition