equate vs rival

equate is not a noun while rival is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
equate	No	No	Yes	No
rival	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

equate (noun)	rival (noun)
	the contestant you hope to defeat

equate (adjective)	rival (adjective)
	as a rival in a competition

equate (verb)	rival (verb)
make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching	be the rival of, be in competition with
consider or describe as similar, equal, or analogous	be equal to in quality or ability
be equivalent or parallel, in mathematics