different between equal vs disable

English

Alternative forms

• æqual (archaic), æquall (archaic)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin aequ?lis, of unknown origin. Doublet of egal.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ?k'w?l, IPA^(key): /?i?kw?l/
• Rhymes: -i?kw?l

Adjective

equal (not generally comparable, comparative more equal, superlative most equal)

1. (not comparable) The same in all respects.
   • 1705, George Cheyne, The Philosophical Principles of Religion Natural and Revealed

     They who are not disposed to receive them may let them alone or reject them; it is equal to me.

2. (mathematics, not comparable) Exactly identical, having the same value.
3. (obsolete) Fair, impartial.
   • Are not my ways equal?
4. (comparable) Adequate; sufficiently capable or qualified.
   • 1881, Jane Austen, Emma, page 311

     her comprehension was certainly more equal to the covert meaning, the superior intelligence, of those five letters so arranged.

   • much less is it in my power to make my commendations equal to your merits.

   • 1842, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Threnody

     […] whose voice an equal messenger / Conveyed thy meaning mild.

5. (obsolete) Not variable; equable; uniform; even.

   • an equal temper

6. (music) Intended for voices of one kind only, either all male or all female; not mixed.

Usage notes

• In mathematics, this adjective can be used in phrases like "A and B are equal", "A is equal to B", and, less commonly, "A is equal with B".
• The most common comparative use is the ironic expression more equal.

Synonyms

• (the same in all respects): identical
• (the same in all relevant respects): equivalent
• (unvarying): even, fair, uniform, unvarying

Translations

Verb

equal (third-person singular simple present equals, present participle (Commonwealth) equalling or (US) equaling, simple past and past participle (Commonwealth) equalled or (US) equaled)

1. (mathematics, copulative) To be equal to, to have the same value as; to correspond to.

2. (transitive) To make equivalent to; to cause to match.

3. (informal) To have as its consequence.

Synonyms

• (to be equal to): be, is
• (informal, have as its consequence): entail, imply, lead to, mean, result in, spell

Translations

Noun

equal (plural equals)

1. A person or thing of equal status to others.

   • Those who were once his equals envy and defame him.
2. (obsolete) State of being equal; equality.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (person or thing of equal status to others): peer

Derived terms

Related terms

• equality

Translations

Anagrams

• Quale, quale, queal

English

Etymology

dis- +? able

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): [d?s?e?b??]
• Rhymes: -e?b?l

Verb

disable (third-person singular simple present disables, present participle disabling, simple past and past participle disabled)

1. (transitive) To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling.
2. (chiefly of a person) To impair the physical or mental abilities of; to cause a serious, permanent injury.

   Falling off the horse disabled him.

3. (chiefly electronics, computing) To deactivate, to make inoperational (especially of a function of an electronic or mechanical device).

   The pilot had to disable the autopilot of his airplane.

Synonyms

• unable (non-standard), see also Thesaurus:disable
• deactivate

Antonyms

• enable

Derived terms

• disablement

Translations

Adjective

disable (comparative more disable, superlative most disable)

1. (obsolete) Lacking ability; unable.

   • Our disable and unactive force.

Anagrams

• baldies, bidales, diables, labside

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?sebl/, /?d??ebl/

Verb

disable (third-person singular present disables, present participle disablein, past disablet, past participle disablet)

1. disable, disqualify