Equal means the same in amount, size, value, or importance. When you split a candy bar equally with your friend, you each get the same amount. When a teacher gives equal time to each student's presentation, everyone gets the same chance to speak.

In math, equal means identical in value: 5 plus 3 equals 8, or 2 times 4 equals 8. The equals sign (=) shows that what's on both sides has the same value.

The word also describes treating people fairly and with the same respect. When everyone has an equal voice in deciding which game to play, each person's opinion counts the same. When workers receive equal pay for equal work, they earn the same wages for doing the same job, regardless of who they are.

Equality is the noun form: the state of being equal. Throughout history, people have fought for equality under the law, meaning everyone should face the same rules and have the same rights and opportunities. The phrase all things being equal means “if everything else is the same,” like saying “all things being equal, I'd rather have pizza than tacos.”

Notice that equal doesn't always mean identical. In a relay race, teammates might run different distances but make equal contributions to winning because each person's part matters just as much.