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 of disparity

• difference
• distinctiveness
• distinctness
• diversity
• contrast
• distinction

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

The greatest financial challenge the Padres face is the ability of the Dodgers and other bigger market clubs to command and retain huge media rights fees, a disparity MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and some team owners are trying to address in the negotiations. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026

For example, sociological research on racial health disparities invite neighborhood interventions that can help improve overall quality of life by increasing the availability of affordable nutritious foods in underserved neighborhoods or initiatives that prioritize equal access to education. —Jennifer Singh, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026

Likely, this disparity is also due to human interference, which affects the field of prey available to the whales, NOAA reported, citing biologists. —Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026

States that base their economies on the extraction of natural resources often suffer from great wealth disparity, with leaders using oil wealth to create systems of corruption and political repression to stay in power. —Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for disparity

• alterity
• asperity
• austerity
• celerity
• dexterity
• hilarity
• molarity
• planarity
• polarity
• posterity
• prosperity
• severity

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