The equals sign, or " = ", is a basic mathematical symbol used to indicate that two quantities or values have the same numerical value. While the term "equals sign" is the most commonly used, there are several synonyms that can be used interchangeably. These includes the phrase "is equal to," as well as abbreviations like "eq" or "≡". Additionally, the symbol "≈" is used to show that two values are approximately equal, while the double equals sign "==" is commonly used in computer programming to indicate equality. Though there are several synonyms for the equals sign, they all convey the same basic concept of mathematical or logical equality.