equatorial

equatorial — adjective

1. connected with or found in the part of the earth that lies around the equator, w

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

connected with or found in the part of the earth that lies around the equator, where the weather is usually very hot and the land is often covered by thick rainforest.

Example

Layla studies how farmers in equatorial Africa adapt to the heavy seasonal rains.

collocation: equatorial Africa / equatorial region

The crew felt soaked in sweat as they crossed the equatorial waters near Sumatra.

collocation: equatorial waters / equatorial current

Common collocations
  • equatorial climate
  • equatorial region
  • equatorial rainforest
  • equatorial Africa
  • equatorial waters
  • equatorial current
Synonyms
  • tropical

    broader in scope — tropical covers the entire zone between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, while equatorial refers specifically to the area very close to the equator.

  • torrid

    literary or formal; strongly emphasises extreme heat rather than geographic position.

Antonyms
  • polar

    describes the opposite end of the earth, at or near the North or South Pole, with a very cold climate.

Grammar Patterns

equatorial + noun

Usage Note

Frequently placed before a noun (equatorial climate, equatorial region) rather than used after a linking verb. It is less common to say 'The climate is equatorial' than to say 'They live in an equatorial climate.'

Common Mistakes

The ship sailed through equatorial.
The ship sailed through equatorial waters.
equatorial is an adjective and needs a noun to modify.

Word family

  • equator
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Equatorial and tropical both describe warm climate zones, but equatorial refers specifically to the narrow band of land and sea within a few degrees of the equator, while tropical covers the entire belt from 23.5°N to 23.5°S. For example, 'equatorial rainforest' describes forests right on the equator, whereas 'tropical rainforest' can refer to forests anywhere in the tropics, including areas further north or south. Torrid is a much rarer, literary word that emphasises scorching heat rather than geography — you might read 'a torrid sun' in a novel, but rarely in a geography textbook. Polar is the climatic opposite, describing the freezing conditions near the North and South Poles.

tropical ↗torridpolar ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • equatorial climate
  • equatorial region
  • equatorial rainforest
  • equatorial Africa
  • equatorial waters
  • equatorial current

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Equatorial comes from the noun equator, which traces back through French and Latin to the Latin verb aequare (to make equal). The equator was named because at that line day and night are of equal length all year round.