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.

Synonyms

• contrast
• difference
• disagreement
• discrepancy
• disparateness
• dissimilarity
• dissimilitude
• distance
• distinction
• distinctiveness
• distinctness
• diverseness
• diversity
• otherness
• unlikeness

Examples of disparity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The health disparities between rural and urban Americans have long been documented, but a recent report from the Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service found the chasm has grown in recent decades. —Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024

It’s also lingered on disparities between the men’s and women’s games that have been under scrutiny since attention was drawn in 2021 to the vastly different weight rooms set up for the NCAA Tournament. —Anne M. Peterson and Doug Feinberg, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024

This general failure can be attributed to the disparities between the United States and Iran. —Jon B. Alterman, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2024

One explanation for the relationship disparity, according to Mialauni Griggs, ALMFT, a relationship therapist who spoke to Verywell Mind about this topic a few years ago, is that the negativity comes from gender role expectations and evolution. —Kristina Behr, Parents, 2 Apr. 2024

The focused outreach has been highly effective, and menthol cigarettes have played a role in widened health disparities. —Jen Christensen, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024

Palliative care physicians like myself who treat both conditions are not surprised at all by this disparity. —Maria J Silveira, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2024

The Pink Foundation founder, Bob Faber, recognizing the disparities in education in other rural communities worldwide, is dedicated to empowering children from underserved communities and equipping them with the necessary tools for success, with a focus on children in Bulgaria. —Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024

In The Digital Realm During her time at Google and as CEO of YouTube, Susan Wojcicki actively advocated for policies that promote work-life balance and address gender disparities. —Jennifer Acree, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

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

Medical Definition

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