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 result is a movie that somehow blends these disparate genres as effortlessly as Anna eventually socks off zombie skulls. — Sam Machkovech And Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "Films for the discerning nerd: Ars picks the best of 2018," 27 Dec. 2018 My progressive vision of equality would allow disparate impact to be a basis for a constitutional violation, preserve affirmative action, and ultimately seek a constitutional right to food, shelter, medical care, and education for all Americans. — Sean Illing, Vox, "Why the Constitution is an inherently progressive document," 18 Dec. 2018 Part of what has made the franchise so enduring is that the experience generally works for both of those disparate audiences. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the complete package," 6 Dec. 2018 Shared attention, like what percentage of the conversation is focused on the same things rather than disparate things. — Peter Kafka, Recode, "Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey talked to NYU’s Jay Rosen for an hour, on the record. Read and listen to the full interview here.," 14 Sep. 2018 This was a clear continuation of the Bauhaus notion of gesamtkunstwerk: disparate elements or materials coming together to create a single entity. — Hillary Brown, House Beautiful, "Everything You Need To Know About Mid-Century Modern Design," 13 Sep. 2018 To my peers, World War II was bound to be a story told through disparate objects. — Maya Dukmasova, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / History / News On winning wars and losing memories," 18 Apr. 2018 With its flowing sash, turquoise brooches, and bright green gloves, the outfit combined disparate elements, but Swinton, ever the original, pulled them all off. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Tilda Swinton and Sandro Kopp Subvert Couples Style at Wes Anderson’s New Exhibit," 7 Nov. 2018 Unlike the Rockies who preceded him, Arenado’s home/road splits aren’t nearly as disparate as those of Todd Helton, Charlie Blackmon and Larry Walker. 6. — Si.com Staff, SI.com, "Nine Innings: Blowing Up Small Sample Sizes, Heroic Homer Feats and Establishing an All-MLB Team," 2 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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