egalitarian

American  

[ih-gal-i-tair-ee-uhn] / ɪˌgæl ɪˈtɛər i ən /

adjective

1. asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, economic, or social life.

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noun

• egalitarians
  plural

1. a person who adheres to egalitarian beliefs.

egalitarian British  

/ ɪˌɡælɪˈtɛərɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or upholding the doctrine of the equality of mankind and the desirability of political, social, and economic equality

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noun

1. an adherent of egalitarian principles

Usage

What does egalitarian mean? Egalitarianism is a social and political philosophy promoting the equal status of all people. Something in line with this principle is described as egalitarian. Someone who espouses this principle of equality can be called an egalitarian. How is egalitarian pronounced?[ ih-gal-i-tair-ee-uhn ]What are other forms of egalitarian?egalitarianismWhat are some other words related to egalitarian?

• democracy
• equality

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• egalitarianism
  noun
• antiegalitarian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• egalitarians
  plural

Etymology

Origin of egalitarian

First recorded in 1880–85; alteration of equalitarian with French égal replacing equal

Compare meaning

How does egalitarian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• egalitarian vs. feminism

Explanation

An egalitarian is a person who believes in the equality of all people, and an egalitarian society gives everyone equal rights. This is a word that means something close to equality and has to do with fairness. If you believe that everyone deserves a chance to vote, go to school, get good jobs, and participate in society, then you are an egalitarian. When laws make life fairer, the law is getting more egalitarian. The opposite of an egalitarian system could be a fascist society or dictatorship. Monarchies are not egalitarian. When you see this word, think about equality and freedom.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

egalitarian egalitarians

During his reign, the Norwegian monarchy became more egalitarian and transparent with finances and health, Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen, historian and TV2 royal correspondent, told the BBC.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

The problem — and the beauty — of Social Security is that it was conceived as an egalitarian system.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

That means that the public must have egalitarian, accessible, and effective channels to influence the law and policy that interpret, reflect, and shape constitutional meaning.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

L.A. was where he had come of age, and it remained an indelible part of his life and psyche — not least in terms of its egalitarian spirit and its tendency toward the horizontal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

Because modern-day hunter-gatherers in Africa live in egalitarian bands that constantly move from place to place, archaeologists assumed that Native American hunter-gatherers must also have done so.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

By categorizing people as lucky or unlucky, she argued, these egalitarians set up a moralizing hierarchy.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 31, 2018

But those whigs, liberals, egalitarians, eco-warriors, freedom-fighters or pacifists who are able to imagine a far better world all hear the call of utopianism.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 24, 2016

In this sense, we are all egalitarians, Republicans and Democrats alike.

From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2015

Thus, while secularizing leaders were generally on the left and saw themselves as egalitarians, they were often viewed by the traditionalist, religious masses as elitists.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 3, 2015

There were even a few egalitarians who claimed for all classes a democratic régime.

From The Age of the Reformation by Preserved Smith

Related Words

• democratic
• equitable