Definition of DISPARITY

Other Words from disparate

disparately adverb

disparateness noun

disparity \di-ˈsper-ə-tē,

-ˈspa-rə- \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for disparate

different, diverse, divergent, disparate, various mean unlike in kind or character. different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness. different foods diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast. such diverse interests as dancing and football divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation. went on to pursue divergent careers disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility. disparate notions of freedom various stresses the number of sorts or kinds. tried various methods

Examples of disparate in a Sentence

First during the nineteen-seventies, but with increasing momentum during the eighties, a loose community of physics researchers had begun to postulate that the disparate small particles that we learned about in high-school science class—electrons, for instance—were actually the varied vibrations of tiny open and closed looped strings. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 21 July 2008 The American border with Mexico is among the most economically disparate intersections in the world, but the cities on either side of the port looked almost identical—a spread of humble brick and cinder-block homes dotting a blanket of brown hills. — Cecilia Balli, Harper's, October 2006 I made the French lemon cream tart that Greenspan credits to Hermé and got disparate reactions. An American friend loved its creaminess and felt it had a comfortingly familiar texture; a British friend … said he missed the traditional sharp, gel-like custard. — Tamasin Day-Lewis, Saveur, November 2006 Like these imagined cities, identical twins are identical only in their blueprints. By the time they are born, they are already disparate in countless neurological and physiological ways that mostly we cannot see. — Frank J. Sulloway, New York Review, 30 Nov. 2006 The plan, as near as anybody outside Yahoo can make out, is to stitch all those disparate organizations into one huge Frankenstein's monster of a search engine that will strike terror into the hearts of all who behold it. — Lev Grossman, Time, 22 Dec. 2003 disparate notions among adults and adolescents about when middle age begins

Recent Examples on the Web

The groups’ financial status also further reflects the disparate spending strategy of both parties. — Alana Abramson, Time, "This Republican Super PAC Raised $51 Million to Try and Save the Party's House Majority," 12 July 2018 With these data, the team led by a Johns Hopkins University scientist could see that animal experiments, when repeated, often produced disparate results. — Eric Boodman, STAT, "Computers may surpass rabbits and rodents for some chemical safety tests," 11 July 2018 Many have survived in such disparate places as the Matenadaran repository in Yerevan, the Armenian Catholic monasteries of San Lazzaro in Venice, and the Walters Art Museum in Maryland. — Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian, "Unfurling the Rich Tapestry of Armenian Culture," 25 June 2018 Ham hocks, neck bones, gizzards, and other animal parts unwanted by white families found their way into black kitchens by necessity; unsung black cooks turned these disparate bits into craveable dishes. — Hannah Giorgis, Bon Appetit, "How Freda DeKnight’s Cookbook, ‘A Date with a Dish’ Inspired Generations of Black Cooks," 19 June 2018 Theresa says these policies have been directly discriminatory on the basis of age and source of income, as well as having a disparate impact on the city’s African-American communities. — Terrell Jermaine Starr, The Root, "Washington, D.C. Is Being Sued For Gentrification," 17 June 2018 In some cases, measures have been grouped together, meaning voters will have to choose to approve or reject disparate proposals that have been linked in one amendment. — Elizabeth Koh, miamiherald, "Here are the 13 constitutional amendments on Florida's 2018 ballot and what they do," 14 June 2018 Viva La Vida turned out to be a rich, transitional release, borrowing from their most disparate core of influences. — Shawn Cooke, Billboard, "'Viva La Vida' Turns 10: How Coldplay Made the Last Massive Experimental Rock Album," 17 June 2018 Inside these disparate but meticulously constructed worlds, Kubrick’s slightly malicious intelligence determined the outcomes of every apparently free choice his protagonists made. — Junot Díaz, The New Yorker, "“2001: A Space Odyssey”: What It Means, and How It Was Made," 17 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disparate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for disparate

borrowed from Latin disparātus "separate, distinct," from past participle of disparāre "to divide, separate off, make different," from dis- dis- + parāre "to supply, provide, make ready" (influenced in sense by association with dispar-, dispār "unequal, different") — more at pare

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