inequitable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inequitable
Explanation
If something is inequitable, it's not not fair or just. If one math class gets a pizza party and another gets an algebra quiz, that's inequitable. The word inequitable is a fancy way to say "unfair." It adds the prefix in-, or "not," to equitable, "fair and impartial." In law, inequitable conduct has to do with lying or withholding information during the process of suing someone. In more ordinary circumstances, if your brother complains that his half of the cookie you split is smaller, you can shrug and tell him, "Sometimes life is inequitable."
Vocabulary lists containing inequitable
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.
The initiative was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2016 as a temporary way to analyze systemic issues that cause inequitable gender treatment and outcomes, and identify responses to help address those concerns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
I have considered setting a fixed total principal contribution for each grandson, but that would inevitably be inequitable due to differences in investment returns.
From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026
As scholars like Amanda Frost, Kate Masur and Martha Jones demonstrate, abolitionists and free Black activists used the concept of citizenship by birthright to make claims of freedom and otherwise challenge inequitable and terrifying circumstances.
From Slate ● Mar. 18, 2026
“It risks becoming inequitable and inefficient,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
Furthermore, the political position of the Western powers in China was such, as Sun Yat-sen complained, that trade was conducted on a somewhat inequitable basis.
From The Political Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen: An Exposition of the San Min Chu I by Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger
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.
