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

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 The evidence across Europe in recent weeks has been disparate and scattered, ranging from blatant acts of violence to subtle insinuation and casual omissions. — Griff Witte, Washington Post, "In laws, rhetoric and acts of violence, Europe is rewriting dark chapters of its past," 19 Feb. 2018 Stroeve remarks that women’s roles in STEM are slowly increasing, though the wages and leadership positions are still markedly disparate between men and women. — Hans Aschim, Harper's BAZAAR, "Three Women in Science Who Broke the Glass Ceiling," 5 Oct. 2018 Impossible Owls is an absorbing and totally distinctive exploration of wildly disparate corners of our world. — Vogue, "Looking for Something to Read? Here Are 4 New Books Vogue Editors Are Loving Right Now," 26 Oct. 2018 Part of what the book achieves is a lucid rendering of the complex web of filiations and affiliations that connected not only these three central figures but also others in their orbit and in their disparate, often far-flung worlds. — Neel Mukherjee, WSJ, "‘The Last Englishmen’ Review: India, Everest and Empire," 23 Aug. 2018 Georgetown University law professor Paul Butler said the law does have a racially disparate effect that devalues black life. — Fox News, "Father blames 'stand your ground' in son's parking-lot death," 9 Aug. 2018 JUSTIN NAMON Photo provided to the Miami Herald The design team has created nine disparate worlds. — Christine Dolen, miamiherald, "Summer Shorts Festival continues to electrify the season," 4 June 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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