false equivalence
Say it: false ih-KWIV-uh-luns /ˌfɔːls ɪˈkwɪv(ə)l(ə)ns/ · noun
What “false equivalence” means
Treating very different things as if they were equal.
More precisely: Treating two things as equally bad or valid when they differ greatly in scale or nature.
Example: “Comparing a forgotten email to fraud is a false equivalence.”
When to use it
When criticising comparisons that give similar weight to actions or claims despite major differences in seriousness, scale or support.
Similar words
false balance, bad comparison
Quick check
Someone says dropping one sweet wrapper is just as harmful as dumping a lorry of rubbish. That's…
a fair comparison or a false equivalence?
Show the answer
a false equivalence
Learn 5 new words a day in Kinquire. Each with a picture, how to say it, an example and a quick check, then spaced review so you actually keep them. Free to start.
Learn “false equivalence”