disparity
Americannoun
plural
disparitiesnoun
-
inequality or difference, as in age, rank, wages, etc
-
dissimilarity
Related Words
See difference.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disparity
First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French desparite, from Late Latin disparitās; equivalent to dis- 1 + parity 1
Explanation
If there is a disparity between how great you think you are at tennis and how you actually play, you are probably surprised by how often you lose. Disparity is the condition of being unequal, and a disparity is a noticeable difference. Disparity usually refers to a difference that is unfair: economic disparities exist among ethnic groups, there is a disparity between what men and women earn in the same job. This noun derives from Latin dispar "unequal." The opposite of disparity is parity, the condition of being equal or the same.
Vocabulary lists containing disparity
Grade 9, List 5
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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This Week in Words: September 29 - October 5, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While quite obviously a joke about the couple’s age disparity, Melania tweeted that this was “hateful and violent rhetoric” for which ABC should punish him.
From Slate • May 2, 2026
“Is it fair? It depends who you are asking. Is there disparity? One-hundred percent,” Lubin said.
From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026
County — a place with massive wealth disparity, home to the most people and properties of any county in the country — can be a more political role than its administrative title suggests.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
“The system is designed to make you feel despair. Like, the disparity is systemic!” he says with the misbegotten confidence of a podcast bro.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026
But the various spellings of even one name can reveal a strong disparity.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
