egalitarian

[ ih-gal-i-tair-ee-uhn ]

adjective

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

noun

1. a person who adheres to egalitarian beliefs.

egalitarian

/ ɪˌɡælɪˈtɛərɪən /

adjective

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

noun

1. an adherent of egalitarian principles

Derived Forms

• eˌgaliˈtarianˌism, noun

Other Words From

• e·gali·tari·an·ism noun
• anti·e·gali·tari·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of egalitarian¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of egalitarian¹

C19: alteration of equalitarian, through influence of French égal equal

Example Sentences

The sandwich eventually found its way to more egalitarian eateries too — neighborhood diners, airport restaurants — making it popular among a broader swath of sandwich lovers.

From Eater

For the duration of a back-and-forth fourth quarter, the five-time All-Star ventured outside Miami’s egalitarian offense to exploit favorable matchups that he could sink his teeth into.

From FiveThirtyEight

There was a change in the institution of marriage to make it egalitarian when it wasn’t egalitarian.

From Washington Blade

Suppose then that your world fills you, over and over, with conflicting representations of another group, some humane and egalitarian, others monstrous and terrible.

From Nautilus

Stylistically, the Jazz are unique, more egalitarian than most teams.

From FiveThirtyEight

In short, it was intended to be a place to create a more egalitarian society.

From The Daily Beast

Americans pride themselves on an egalitarian society open to all.

From The Daily Beast

This egalitarian impulse was in part driven by people returning from WW II and Korea, many of whom benefited from the GI Bill.

From The Daily Beast

Capitalist, however corrupt; bureaucratic, however inefficient; egalitarian, however much we struggle for status and recognition.

From The Daily Beast

The politics of class war are safely neutered by storylines that feature an egalitarian, uniting notion of decency.

From The Daily Beast

Every one who is a convinced and sincere egalitarian, and who takes the trouble to think, is forced to be a collectivist.

From Project Gutenberg

There was a declared intention of an egalitarian redistribution of wealth and assets.

From Project Gutenberg

Indeed, there was something in the very crudity of his social compliment that smacked, strangely enough, of that egalitarian soil.

From Project Gutenberg

Most work beyond the primary work of agriculture was guarded by the egalitarian vigilance of the Guilds.

From Project Gutenberg

Serbs, Bosnians and Croats divided the loot with the loftiest of egalitarian instincts.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• democratic
• equitable

More About Egalitarian

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?

egalitarianism

What are some other words related to egalitarian?

• democracy
• equality

Where does egalitarian come from?

The word egalitarian is derived from the French, based in a Latin root meaning “equal” and giving English that word.

A form of the word is famously associated with an Enlightenment-period motto of the French Revolution from the 1790s, that has since become the country’s national motto: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, or “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”

Egalitarian is recorded in English by the 1800s, with the noun form recorded by the early 1900s. While rooted in social philosophy, egalitarian has expanded to refer to anything that promotes the equality of all people. Egalitarian prayer, for instance, allows people of any faith to pray at a space even if they do not belong to a particular religion governing it, as at an area of the Western Wall in Israel.

While the word egalitarian has become generalized, it’s still very closely identified with egalitarianism. In general, this philosophy believes all people are by nature equal, and urges the equal treatment of people in all aspects of society, from law to social status.

Its core principle has helped it fuel a range of social revolutions in the 19th and 20th centuries, including Marxism, feminism, the civil rights movement, and the gay rights movements—each working to overcome inequalities based on class, gender, race, or sexuality. And oh, let’s not leave out Western democracy, founded as it is on notions of egalitarianism (as opposed to aristocracy).

How is egalitarian used in real life?

In terms of government, democracy is often identified as the most egalitarian form, based as it is on government by the people and the rule of law.

The growth of Hindutva is essentially a backlash of the upper castes against the egalitarian demands of democracy. Its main targets are anyone who stands in the way of the restoration of the Brahminical social order that places upper-caste men at the top.
https://t.co/HBRvu65s1K

— Priya Desai (@PriyaDesai1) August 20, 2018

Egalitarianism is focused on equality, not on special treatment or exceptions. Truly egalitarian movements demand equal rights and opportunities—and responsibilities and consequences.

More examples of egalitarian:

“The Lothagam North Pillar Site suggests egalitarian societies were capable of constructing large public monuments.”

—Brooks Hays, United Press International, August 2018