inequality

noun

in·​equal·​i·​ty ˌi-ni-ˈkwä-lə-tē 

1

: the quality of being unequal or uneven: such as

a

: social disparity

b

: disparity of distribution or opportunity

c

: lack of evenness

d

: the condition of being variable : changeableness

2

: an instance of being unequal

3

: a formal statement of inequality between two quantities usually separated by a sign of inequality (such as <, >, or ≠ signifying respectively is less than, is greater than, or is not equal to)

Examples of inequality in a Sentence

They discussed the problem of inequality between students.

He accused the company of inequality in its hiring practices.

He has proposed a new system designed to remove inequalities in health care.

Recent Examples on the Web

Like President Reagan, those pushing for democracy promotion equated political freedom with strengthening free markets and thereby lessening the attraction abroad to movements—including but not limited to communism—that aimed to redistribute resources to reduce economic inequality. —Time, 3 Sep. 2025

Along with climate improvement, the UN Sustainable Development Goals also calls for improving gender equality, health and wellbeing, and innovation and infrastructure, while also reducing poverty, hunger and inequality. —Peter Sadera, Sourcing Journal, 2 Sep. 2025

In that case, unsealed court filings indicated that Disney was aware of allegations of widespread pay inequality for years. —Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025

Some scholars have argued that the two trends were both products of market forces that rewarded highly skilled and highly educated workers, but the decline of organized labor didn’t itself contribute significantly to inequality. —Laura Clawson, JSTOR Daily, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English inequalite, from Latin inaequalitat-, inaequalitas, from inaequalis unequal, from in- + aequalis equal

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing inequality

• triangle inequality

Rhymes for inequality

• causality
• equality
• frivolity
• sodality
• jollity
• polity
• quality

Kids Definition

inequality

noun

in·​equal·​i·​ty ˌin-i-ˈkwäl-ət-ē 

plural inequalities

1

: the quality of being unequal

2

: an instance of being unequal (as an irregularity in a surface)

3

: a statement in mathematics or logic that two quantities usually separated by a special sign (as <, >, or ≠ respectively meaning "is less than," "is greater than," or "is not equal to") are not equal