disparate

[dis-per-it, dih-spar-]

See more synonyms for disparate on Thesaurus.com

adjective

distinct in kind; essentially different; dissimilar: disparate ideas.

Origin of disparate

1580–90; < Latin disparātus separated (past participle of disparāre), equivalent to dis- dis-¹ + par(āre) to prepare (see pare) + -ātus -ate¹

Related formsdis·pa·rate·ly, adverbdis·pa·rate·ness, nounnon·dis·pa·rate, adjectivenon·dis·pa·rate·ly, adverbnon·dis·pa·rate·ness, noun

Can be confuseddesperate disparate

Synonyms

See more synonyms for disparate on Thesaurus.com

separate, divergent, incommensurable, unlike.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for disparate

Contemporary Examples

Still other critics are baffled that Borges was influenced by such strange and disparate sources.
Borges Had A Genius For Literature But Not Love Or Much Else
Allen Barra
October 24, 2014
The so-called moderate opposition—made up of hundreds of disparate groups—is often immoderate and rarely cohesive.
Why Airstrikes in Syria Won't Work
Rep. Adam Schiff
September 4, 2014
So, as I say, a disparate bunch but in a couple of ways the form in which cartoonists choose to work binds them.
Cartoon News: DSK And Dr. Phil
Anthony Haden-Guest
June 1, 2014
There will be no Peach state Todd Akin after the disparate Tea Party strands in Georgia failed to produce a competitive candidate.
Tea Party Flops in Georgia Senate Race
Patricia Murphy
May 19, 2014
Nowhere are these disparate conditions more evident than in Bab al-Salameh.
Millions of Refugees from Syria’s War Are Clinging to Life In Toxic Conditions
Christopher Looney
April 14, 2014

Historical Examples

No doubt his attachment to the disparate couple counted for not a little.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
Such associations of disparate senses are called complications.
An Introduction to Psychology
Wilhelm Max Wundt
The disparate elements of the mediaeval personality were as yet unblended.
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume I of II)
Henry Osborn Taylor
But Noli was too radical to command the support of the disparate coalition that had ousted Zogu.
Area Handbook for Albania
Eugene K. Keefe
He has succeeded, according to them, in heaping together an immense amount of information, but it is of the most disparate value.
Catholic Churchmen in Science
James J. Walsh

British Dictionary definitions for disparate

disparate

adjective

utterly different or distinct in kind

noun

(plural) unlike things or people

Derived Formsdisparately, adverbdisparateness, noun

Word Origin

C16: from Latin disparāre to divide, from dis- 1 + parāre to prepare; also influenced by Latin dispar unequal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for disparate

adj.

c.1600, "unlike in kind," from Latin disparatus, past participle of disparare "divide, separate," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + parare "get ready, prepare" (see pare); meaning influenced by Latin dispar "unequal, unlike." Related: Disparately; disparateness.

disparate

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}disparate

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for disparate

Contemporary Examples

Still other critics are baffled that Borges was influenced by such strange and disparate sources.

The so-called moderate opposition—made up of hundreds of disparate groups—is often immoderate and rarely cohesive.

So, as I say, a disparate bunch but in a couple of ways the form in which cartoonists choose to work binds them.

There will be no Peach state Todd Akin after the disparate Tea Party strands in Georgia failed to produce a competitive candidate.

Nowhere are these disparate conditions more evident than in Bab al-Salameh.

Historical Examples

No doubt his attachment to the disparate couple counted for not a little.

Such associations of disparate senses are called complications.

The disparate elements of the mediaeval personality were as yet unblended.

But Noli was too radical to command the support of the disparate coalition that had ousted Zogu.

He has succeeded, according to them, in heaping together an immense amount of information, but it is of the most disparate value.

disparate

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for disparate

adj.

Origin of disparate