equality

American  

[ih-kwol-i-tee] / ɪˈkwɒl ɪ ti /

noun

• equalities
  plural

1. the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability.

   The district is implementing a college readiness plan to achieve equality of outcomes for its graduates applying to higher education programs.

   Synonyms:

   impartiality, sameness, identity, parity, equivalence

2. uniform character, as of motion or surface.

3. Mathematics.

   1. the relationship between equal quantities, as expressed in an equation.

   2. a statement that two quantities are equal; equation.

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equality British  

/ ɪˈkwɒlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state of being equal

2. maths a statement, usually an equation, indicating that quantities or expressions on either side of an equal sign are equal in value

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subequality
  noun
• proequality
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• equalities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of equality

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin aequālitāt- (stem of aequālitās ); see equal, -ity

Explanation

Equality is when things are the same (equal) in some particular way. You had to rethink your campaign for equality in the household when you realized this meant doing your own laundry and sharing the remote control. Equality means "the state of being equal." It's one of the ideals a democratic society, and so the fight to attain different kinds of equality, like racial equality, gender equality, or equality of opportunity between rich and poor, is often associated with progress toward that ideal of everyone being truly equal. Equality doesn't have to be used only for social ideals, though. There can be equality in weight between two barrels of apples, or between two molecules.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

equality equalities

Cunningham's comments have become a flashpoint inside a league which has a long history of player activism on issues including race, gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Yousef, whose community strongly promotes gender equality, said she also wants to work on "defending women's rights and enshrining them in the country's constitution".

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Their scrappy determination helped convince family members, neighbors and eventually the rest of the country that the Constitution’s guarantees of liberty and equality applied to same-sex couples.

From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2026

Robinson advocated for black equality as a leader of the NAACP.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Because equality isn’t really obvious to most people.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

NI has different equalities laws from the rest of the UK so the NI Equality Commission is seeking a High Court ruling on how that Supreme Court ruling should be interpreted.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

It follows a Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman in equalities law in April last year.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

The government intends to publish new guidance on single-sex spaces next month after elections on the 7 May, equalities minister Bridget Phillipson has said.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026

The group was completed by Suzanne Blackley, the party's national equalities convener.

From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2026

Unfortunately perhaps, people are more sensitive to absolute differences between people than they are to rough equalities between them.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• civil rights
• coordination
• equal opportunity
• fairness
• identity
• impartiality
• parity
• tolerance