disparity

noun

dis·​par·​i·​ty di-ˈsper-ə-tē How to pronounce disparity (audio)
-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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Unlike with Netflix or HBO, YouTube creators are taking on the risk for their projects (though, granted, there’s a great disparity in production budgets). Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025 Owens meanwhile focused on national trends in wage disparity and affordability. Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025 While music artists may seem different, their fame leading to them feeling out of reach and perhaps unrelatable, these disparities are present in their circumstances just as much as in those of everyday Black men. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 15 Oct. 2025 But in the world right now, there is such a disparity between those who have and those who have not, and only getting worse. Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disparity

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French disparité, borrowed from Late Latin disparitāt-, disparitās, from Latin dispar-, dispār "unequal, different" (from dis- dis- + par-, pār "matching, equal," of uncertain origin) + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disparity was in 1571

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Cite this Entry

“Disparity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disparity. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

disparity

noun
dis·​par·​i·​ty dis-ˈpar-ət-ē How to pronounce disparity (audio)
plural disparities
: the state of being different or dissimilar (as in the sensory information received) see retinal disparity

More from Merriam-Webster on disparity

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