inequality

noun

in·​equal·​i·​ty ˌi-ni-ˈkwä-lə-tē 

1

: the quality of being unequal or uneven: such as

a

: social disparity

economic/racial/gender inequality

b

: disparity of distribution or opportunity

inequality of income/employment/education

c

: lack of evenness

hampered by the inequality of the ground

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

On a macroeconomic scale, economists like Gabriel Zucman warn that this unprecedented consolidation of capital from the AI boom threatens democratic stability by reviving levels of extreme wealth inequality not seen since the last century. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026

That is the real long-term issue behind many current debates about wealth, taxes, billionaires, and inequality. —Dileep Rao, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Mamdani is the latest politician to spotlight wealth inequality amid SpaceX's stock debut. —Ashley Capoot,cj Haddad,samantha Subin,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 12 June 2026

Then too, there is the matter of appearances—the very existence of a single man with more than one trillion dollars in his pockets in a world of extreme wealth inequality. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 12 June 2026

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