unequal
Americanadjective
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not equal; not of the same quantity, quality, value, rank, ability, etc..
People are unequal in their capacities.
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not adequate, as in amount, power, ability, etc. (usually followed byto ).
strength unequal to the task.
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not evenly proportioned or balanced; not having the parts alike or symmetrical.
an unequal leaf.
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uneven or variable in character, quality, etc.
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Obsolete. inequitable; unfair; unjust.
noun
adjective
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not equal in quantity, size, rank, value, etc
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(foll by to) inadequate; insufficient
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not evenly balanced
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(of character, quality, etc) irregular; varying; inconsistent
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(of a contest, etc) having competitors of different ability
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obsolete unjust
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unequal
Vocabulary lists containing unequal
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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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.
Unequal influence is not a pathology of democracy.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026
On Tuesday, the advocacy group Los Angeles Community Action Network released its own report, Separate and Unequal, urging the council to revoke the law and return to “compassionate, community-driven and non-coercive outreach.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2024
The latest addition to Glenstone Museum is a 4,000-square-foot concrete building dedicated to a single, but four-part, artwork: Richard Serra’s 2017 “Four Rounds: Equal Weight, Unequal Measure.”
From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2022
Unequal access might look like a student missing class or school activities to avoid the person they reported, a decline in their grades and having difficulty focusing.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 2022
Unequal, un-ē′kwal, adj. not equal or alike in any quality, extent, duration, &c.: insufficient: varying, not uniform.—adj.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
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.
