inequity

noun

in·​eq·​ui·​ty (ˌ)i-ˈne-kwə-tē 

1

: injustice, unfairness

social/racial/educational inequity

… rebellion against flagrant inequity in the labor market …

—Robert Lekachman

2

: an instance of injustice or unfairness

wage inequities

Synonyms of inequity

• injustice

Examples of inequity in a Sentence

the inequities in wages paid to men and women

the inequity of the punishment led many people to believe that the defendant was being punished for his political beliefs

Recent Examples on the Web

The material inequities that result from anti-Blackness, housing discrimination, or financial insecurity are conveniently absent; Yrsa is a creature absorbed by her own grievances and frustrations. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026

But Trumpism is also what Gramsci called a morbid symptom of the interregnum, an expression of a country riven by political polarization and by economic inequity, and struggling to come to terms with the waning of its singular status. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026

The following year, acting nominations went to white actors again, prompting a flood of people to raise concern about racial inequity in entertainment. — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

Why Exclusion Leaves Value On The Table Too often, business leaders treat inequity as a social issue adjacent to the economy. — Tynesia Boyea-Robinson, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for inequity

• equity

Kids Definition

inequity

noun

in·​eq·​ui·​ty (ˈ)in-ˈek-wət-ē 

plural inequities

1

: injustice sense 1, unfairness

2

: an instance of injustice or unfairness

Legal Definition

inequity

noun

in·​eq·​ui·​ty in-ˈe-kwə-tē 

plural inequities

: injustice

also : an instance of injustice