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

Pooled records can expose drug side effects, track outbreaks and reveal disparities in care that smaller studies miss. — Jennifer D. Oliva, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026

According to the European Union in 2024, there is real disparity across the continent when looking at the frequency and ease of digital payments. — Td Bank, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026

The measure is designed to address this disparity and ensure that large businesses contribute more than smaller businesses to fund essential city services. — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026

Judges are free to ignore sentencing guidelines, which are intended to reduce disparities in punishments levied for the same crimes. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 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