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.
See Examples For:
According to the Pew Research Center, the black-white disparity in family income in 2018 was approximately where it was in 1968.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The first-half attacking disparity between the two sides was demonstrated with Fiji having 25 offloads, 104 carries and 469 metres made compared with 0, 322 and 66 for Wales.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
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
Conant figured that recruiting Lawrence would eliminate with one stroke the two universities’ disparity in experimental physics.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Weber alleged that after she raised concerns about gender pay disparities, she was pressured to resign her vice provost job and was fired when she refused to do so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The findings revealed significant disparities in who advances through the process.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 1, 2026
This gap largely reflects longstanding economic and caregiving disparities.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
The helpline's founder, Wendy Watson, said disparities were not just cross-border but could exist between health boards and trusts across England and Wales.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Such differences in food production constituted a major ultimate cause of the disparities between Eurasian and Native American societies.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
