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

“We have fewer clinicians than we do patients, and that disparity is going to increase.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

You might expect the owner of the Colorado Rockies to say that revenue disparity among teams is so great that competitive balance has been destroyed, and he did.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 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