disparity
Americannoun
plural
disparitiesnoun
-
inequality or difference, as in age, rank, wages, etc
-
dissimilarity
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The disparity raises a red flag, said New York University professor Anna Harvey, who noted that 60% to 70% of crime isn’t reported to police.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 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
The risk is that overtaking will be both more difficult, between cars with similar energy levels, and also ridiculously easy, between those with a large energy disparity.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026
Other studies show different numbers, but the same trend—a big disparity that opened over their lifetimes.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
