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
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
Edward Rothstein
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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.
Synonyms
Examples of disparity in a Sentence
an enormous disparity in the lives of the rich and the poor in that country
Recent Examples on the Web
However, zeroing in on specific regions shows a greater disparity: the northern Sierra snowpack is well ahead of its year-to-date average (161%), while the Central and Southern Sierra are further behind (94% and 75%, respectively).
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2025
As the article on juries revealed, altering the summoning process did not significantly improve the disparity in jury pools.
—Harry Weller, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2025
When criticized for the disparity in prize money between Sinner and Sabalenka in 2024, the Cincinnati Open attributed the difference to broadcast and sponsorship.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
The disparities in access to routine medical procedures and quality of care were cited as major drivers of these statistics.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
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Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2025
As the article on juries revealed, altering the summoning process did not significantly improve the disparity in jury pools.
—Harry Weller, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2025
When criticized for the disparity in prize money between Sinner and Sabalenka in 2024, the Cincinnati Open attributed the difference to broadcast and sponsorship.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
The disparities in access to routine medical procedures and quality of care were cited as major drivers of these statistics.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for disparity
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Dictionary Entries Near disparity
Cite this Entry
“Disparity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disparity. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
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disparity
noun
dis·par·i·ty
dis-ˈpar-ət-ē
plural disparities
: the state of being different or dissimilar (as in the sensory information received) see retinal disparity
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