inequity
Americannoun
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inequities
plural
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lack of equity; unfairness; favoritism or bias.
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an unfair circumstance or proceeding.
noun
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lack of equity; injustice; unfairness
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an unjust or unfair act, sentence, etc
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of inequity
Compare meaning
How does inequity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The noun inequity describes a situation that’s not fair. If you feel, for example, that your brother gets to do whatever he wants while you must follow the rules to the letter, you might rage against inequity. The prefix in- in inequity means “not” or “opposite of.” Equity, means "justice or fairness." Put it together and you get inequity: something that’s unfair or unjust. The word can be used to describe a wide range of unfair situations, such as an inequity in a school's buying new equipment for the football team while the field hockey team continues to wear uniforms from 1981.
Vocabulary lists containing inequity
President Biden's Inaugural Speech (January 2021)
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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The First Democratic Debate: Candidates' Most Relevant Words
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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.
See Examples For:
We can analyze the nature of financial and emotional inequity all day, but it’s time to honor both parties and take action.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
The minister has highlighted the inequity that Nepal should suffer the extreme impacts of climate change when it has one of the world's lowest per-capita carbon emissions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
The second go-round of this anthology features an all-star cast, including Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, and tackles wealth inequity through wildly escalating antics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
A new law, which came into force in December, aims to correct that historical inequity, by allowing not just the children of Canadians to claim citizenship, but anyone who can prove an ancestral tie.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
They also appear to have increased inequity, creating a chasm between those who have figured out how to trade and those who have not.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
The market for earlier detection does not just reflect the inequities in American healthcare.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
"While historical injustices from colonialism to inequities in the global economic order are real, we must also acknowledge that other regions have faced similar challenges, but they have risen above them," Ruto told the summit.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
As a whole, these oldest baby boomers are better educated and wealthier than previous generations—although huge inequities exist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
That might not have ever happened if not for the inequities that blew up in the tournament five years ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
Union lawyers highlighted the inequities of the laborers’ lot by putting Louis Swift and other packinghouse owners on the witness stand to describe their own luxurious homes and lifestyles.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
