inequality

American  

[in-i-kwol-i-tee] / ˌɪn ɪˈkwɒl ɪ ti /

noun

• inequalities
  plural

1. the condition of being unequal; lack of equality; disparity.

   inequality of size.

2. 1. social or economic disparity: widening income inequality in America.

      inequality between rich and poor people;

      widening income inequality in America.

   2. unequal opportunity or treatment resulting from this disparity.

      inequality in healthcare and education.

3. disparity or relative inadequacy in natural endowments.

   a startling inequality of intellect, talents, and physical stamina.

4. injustice; favoritism; partiality.

5. unevenness, as of surface.

6. an instance of unevenness.

7. variableness, as of climate.

8. Astronomy.

   1. any component part of the departure from uniformity in astronomical phenomena, especially in orbital motion.

   2. the amount of such a departure.

9. Mathematics. a statement that two quantities are unequal, indicated by the symbol ≠; alternatively, by the symbol <, signifying that the quantity preceding the symbol is less than that following, or by the symbol >, signifying that the quantity preceding the symbol is greater than that following.

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inequality British  

/ ˌɪnɪˈkwɒlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being unequal; disparity

2. an instance of disparity

3. lack of smoothness or regularity

4. social or economic disparity

5. maths

   1. a statement indicating that the value of one quantity or expression is not equal to another, as in x ≠ y

   2. a relationship between real numbers involving inequality: x may be greater than y, denoted by x > y, or less than y, denoted by x < y

6. astronomy a departure from uniform orbital motion

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• inequalities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of inequality

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English inequalite “unevenness, disparity,” from Old French inequalite, from Latin inaequālitāt- stem of inaequālitās “irregularity, inequity, inconsistency”; see origin at in- ³, equality

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Explanation

When there's an inequality, something is out of balance and things are not equal. An inequality occurs in math when the two quantities are not the same measure or amount. In society, an inequality occurs when rights and privileges are not applied fairly. The civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s, for example, arose because of inequalities between the races. Blacks in the South could not sit in the front of the bus, drink from the same water fountains as whites, or even attend the same schools. People protested this inequality in many ways, including bus strikes, sit-ins, and marches.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inequality inequalities

"There's a real inequality between us and students in Paris," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Even as wealth inequality has become more stark, workers pay Social Security taxes only on income up to $184,500.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

His detractors recoiled at the ostentatious displays, questioned the origins of his money and his political connections, and saw his lifestyle as a stark illustration of inequality.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Feminist dystopian fiction offers another counterpoint: bleak speculative narratives can make systemic problems—including misogyny, violence against women, gender inequality and threats to reproductive rights—more visible.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Without equality, eugenics would inevitably falter on the false premise that social ills, such as vagrancy, pauperism, deviance, alcoholism, and feeblemindedness were genetic ills—while, in fact, they merely reflected inequality.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Leading doctors have described the situation as "discriminatory" and argued that the lack of access on the NHS is widening health inequalities.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

The palace said Charles had worked to acknowledge "the wrongs of the past" and "right inequalities that endure", and on this trip would "renew his personal, wholehearted and continuing commitment to that process".

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

And she said the racial disparities in SAT results are seen in other standardized measures of academic knowledge and reflect of the nation’s inequalities in K-12 education rather than a specific problem with the SAT.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

"But while tackling health inequalities remains an issue, there are things that we can do about inflammation, including reducing risk factors like smoking and obesity."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

Not until Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came to our church and called the signs and other inequalities to our attention did I really start to notice them and their underlying message.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

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Related Words

• bias
• difference
• discrimination
• disparity
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