coequal means equal to each other in size, rank or position. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.
coequal is pronounced /kəʊˈiːkwəl/.
Why “coequal” is a great word
Equal to one another, as in rank, ability, or extent. From Middle English coequalle, from Latin coaequālis, from co- ("together, with") + aequālis ("equal"). First attested in Middle English before 1475. Unlike "identical," which implies exact sameness in every detail, or "equivalent," which suggests interchangeability in value or function, "coequal" asserts a formal parity of standing that allows for distinct identity. It is the balanced scales of two sovereign powers at a treaty signing, the mutual recognition in a glance between masters of different crafts, and twin peaks sharing the same rarefied air—a parity that dignifies difference within a shared horizon.
Etymology
From Middle English coequalle, from Latin coaequālis; equivalent to co- + equal.
adj
- Equal to each other in size, rank or position.“ſince they meaſure our deſerts so meane,
That in conceit beare Empires on our ſpeares,
Affecting thoughts coequall with the cloudes,
They ſhalbe kept our forced followers,
Til with their eies they view vs Emperours.”
noun
- An equal person or thing.“The British desire to see ourselves as co-equals with the Americans (forgetting not just the French but the Canadians, Australians, Indians, Dutch and other forces who took part in the invasion) persists in defiance of the realities of 1944.”
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