Word.ws English Dictionary

dynamic equivalence

dynamic equivalence noun: an approach to translation centered on reproducing an equivalent effect on readers of the translated text.

Noun

dynamic equivalence (uncountable)

  1. An approach to translation centered on reproducing an equivalent effect on readers of the translated text.
    • Nida made a distinction between two kinds of equivalence in translation: formal equivalence, where the order of the words and their standard or common meanings correspond closely to the syntax and vocabulary of the source; and dynamic equivalence (later renamed functional equivalence), where the...2011, David Bellos, chapter 15, in Is that a Fish in Your Ear?
    • The second method of translation is dynamic equivalence (aka functional equivalence). With this method, the translator considers the meaning behind the original text and attempts to convey this meaning to the reader of the target language. The goal is to produce the same effect on the modern...2019, Longy O. Anyanwu, The Color of God in the Crossroads of War, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, →ISBN, page 17

Synonyms of dynamic equivalence

Origin of dynamic equivalence

Coined by American linguist Eugene Nida.

Questions about dynamic equivalence

What does dynamic equivalence mean?
Dynamic equivalence means an approach to translation centered on reproducing an equivalent effect on readers of the translated text.
What part of speech is dynamic equivalence?
Dynamic equivalence is a noun.

Words near dynamic equivalence in the dictionary

  1. dynamic dispatch
  2. dynamic dispatches
  3. Dynamic Duo
  4. dynamic efficiency
  5. dynamic equilibrium
  6. dynamic equivalence
  7. dynamic friction
  8. dynamic frictions
  9. dynamic headroom
  10. dynamic ignition timing
  11. dynamic ignition timings

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: dynamic equivalence (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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