disparity
Americannoun
noun
-
inequality or difference, as in age, rank, wages, etc
-
dissimilarity
Synonym Usage
See difference.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
JPMorgan’s Mislav Matejka presents a tactical, short-term argument, whereas Panmure’s Joachim Klement highlights the long-term implications of the extreme valuation disparity between the U.S. and Europe or the U.K.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 29, 2026
There are lots of different reasons why there’s such a disparity.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
League spokesman Glen Caplin called that disparity “the biggest issue we need to solve next to continue to grow the game.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
"What struck me most while scrolling through those toxic comment sections was the glaring disparity in how different women on that same lineup were treated," Front Row Feels wrote.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
As of this writing, today’s disparity between rich and poor is as wide as the divide between Swift and his laborers one hundred years ago.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
