unequal

adjective un·equal \ ˌən-ˈē-kwəl \

|Updated on: 17 Jul 2018

Examples: unequal in a Sentence

Definition of unequal

1 a : not of the same measurement, quantity, or number as another

b : not like or not the same as another in degree, worth, or status

2 : not uniform : variable, uneven

3 a : badly balanced or matched

an unequal contest

b : contracted between unequals

unequal marriages

c archaic : not equable

4 archaic : not equitable : unjust

5 : inadequate, insufficient

unequal to the task

—

unequally

play \ˌən-ˈē-kwə-lē\ adverb

See unequal defined for English-language learners

See unequal defined for kids

Examples of unequal in a Sentence

unequal academic standards for male and female students
unequal justice based on race

Recent Examples of unequal from the Web

Reuben Camper Cahn, executive director of Federal Defenders of San Diego Inc., called it separate but unequal and compared it to slavery tribunals.

— elliot spagat, Houston Chronicle, "California, long a holdout, adopts mass immigration hearings," 9 July 2018
Reuben Camper Cahn, executive director of Federal Defenders of San Diego Inc., called it separate but unequal and compared it to slavery tribunals.

— NBC News, "California, long a holdout, adopts mass immigration hearings," 8 July 2018
Critics say schools worry that students with limited English skills will negatively impact graduation rates and say nontraditional programs are separate and unequal.

— colleen wright, miamiherald, "Miami-Dade School Board orders review of GED program for immigrant teens," 21 June 2018
But despite improvements by some governments, Latin America remains the most unequal region in the world, with 10 percent of the population holding roughly 71 percent of the wealth.

— ioan grillo, The New Republic, "When Democracy Isn’t Enough," 6 June 2018
But Paraguayan voters overlooked the allegations, focusing on hopes that the Cartes would help boost the economy of one of South America’s most unequal nations.

— pedro servin, The Seattle Times, "Paraguay president leaves post early to take seat in Senate," 28 May 2018
But this documentary feature is fascinating and infuriating in unequal parts, the latter far outweighing the former, since Mr. Jarecki’s instrument is a shoehorn.

— joe morgenstern, WSJ, "‘The King’ Review: A Documentary That’s All Shook Up," 28 June 2018
This can perpetuate unequal wages for women and people of color who are typically paid less than white men.

— press release, The New Republic, "The New Republic July/August Issue: Good Cops," 21 June 2018
The lawsuit filed by Wilkins is in the latest by former cheerleaders who allege harassment and unequal pay.

— scooby axson, SI.com, "Ex-Cowboys Cheerleader Sues Team; Claims Mascot Earned More Money," 13 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unequal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unequal

1565

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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unequal Synonyms

unequal

noun

Definition of unequal

: one that is not equal to another

First Known Use of unequal

1600

in the meaning defined above

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unequal

adverb

Definition of unequal

archaic

: in an unequal manner

unequal match'd
—William Shakespeare

First Known Use of unequal

1602

in the meaning defined above

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UNEQUAL Defined for English Language Learners

unequal

adjective

Definition of unequal for English Language Learners

: not the same in a way that is unfair : giving more advantages, power, etc., to some people and less to other people for unfair reasons
: different in number, degree, quality, size, etc.
: not able to do what is needed