inequality

noun

in·​equal·​i·​ty ˌi-ni-ˈkwä-lə-tē 

1

: the quality of being unequal or uneven: such as

a

: social disparity

economic/racial/gender inequality

b

: disparity of distribution or opportunity

inequality of income/employment/education

c

: lack of evenness

hampered by the inequality of the ground

d

: the condition of being variable : changeableness

2

: an instance of being unequal

3

: a formal statement of inequality between two quantities usually separated by a sign of inequality (such as <, >, or ≠ signifying respectively is less than, is greater than, or is not equal to)

Examples of inequality in a Sentence

They discussed the problem of inequality between students.

He accused the company of inequality in its hiring practices.

He has proposed a new system designed to remove inequalities in health care.

Recent Examples on the Web

Bardelli published a research article in 2022 about inequality within prison commissary stores. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

For example, recent episodes about the benefits of music, the health costs of air pollution, solving societal and economic inequality, and the importance of gut health can help listeners. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Babeuf was betrayed by an informant, put on trial in 1797, and eventually acquitted of conspiracy, but he was executed for committing his ideas about inequality to print. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

But these efforts came to seem like a cover for the harsh realities of poverty and inequality. — Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 30 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English inequalite, from Latin inaequalitat-, inaequalitas, from inaequalis unequal, from in- + aequalis equal

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing inequality

• triangle inequality

Rhymes for inequality

• causality
• equality
• frivolity
• sodality
• jollity
• polity
• quality

Kids Definition

inequality

noun

in·​equal·​i·​ty ˌin-i-ˈkwäl-ət-ē 

plural inequalities

1

: the quality of being unequal

2

: an instance of being unequal (as an irregularity in a surface)

3

: a statement in mathematics or logic that two quantities usually separated by a special sign (as <, >, or ≠ respectively meaning "is less than," "is greater than," or "is not equal to") are not equal