disparity
noun
dis·par·i·ty
di-ˈsper-ə-tē
-ˈspa-rə-
plural disparities
: a noticeable and usually significant difference or dissimilarity
economic/income disparities
The fact is that America's colleges … have lately been exacerbating more than ameliorating the widening disparity of wealth and opportunity in American society.—Andrew Delbanco
… in no other composer is the disparity between the man and his work so immense. Bach's life is considered stupefyingly ordinary, but his music is divine …—Edward Rothstein
Did you know?
Disparity contains the Latin dis, meaning "apart" or "non-", so a disparity is a kind of "nonequality". The word is often used to describe a social or economic condition that's considered unfairly unequal: a racial disparity in hiring, a health disparity between the rich and the poor, an income disparity between men and women, and so on. Its adjective, disparate (accented on the first syllable), is often used to emphasize strong differences.
Cite this Entry
“Disparity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disparity. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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