equivalent definition

1. a person or thing equal to another in value or measure or force or effect or significance etc
• examples: send two dollars or the equivalent in stamps
2. the atomic weight of an element that has the same combining capacity as a given weight of another element; the standard is 8 for oxygen
3. being essentially equal to something
• examples: it was as good as gold
• examples: a wish that was equivalent to a command
• examples: his statement was tantamount to an admission of guilt