disparity

American  

[dih-spar-i-tee] / dɪˈspær ɪ ti /

noun

plural

disparities

1. lack of similarity or equality; inequality; difference.

   a disparity in age; disparity in rank.

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disparity British  

/ dɪˈspærɪtɪ /

noun

1. inequality or difference, as in age, rank, wages, etc

2. dissimilarity

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Related Words

See difference.

Other Word Forms

• nondisparity noun

Etymology

Origin of disparity

First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French desparite, from Late Latin disparitās; equivalent to dis- ¹ + parity ¹

Example Sentences

The players’ union does not dispute the revenue disparity.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

“Maybe once there’s a shift in the market, to where the seller-buyer disparity isn’t nearly as bad, we would at least talk about whether we wanted to sell,” Bryce Bailey said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

Booker and Van Hollen’s bills could heighten that disparity, said Garrett Watson, director of policy analysis at the think tank.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

But calls to do something about the disparity are growing.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

I doubled back toward the bookstalls, puzzled by the disparity between the map and what I saw.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

Related Words

• difference
• discrepancy
• distinction
• divergence
• gap
• imbalance
• inequality
• variation