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

• contrast
• difference
• disagreement
• discrepancy
• disparateness
• dissimilarity
• dissimilitude
• distance
• distinction
• distinctiveness
• distinctness
• diverseness
• diversity
• otherness
• unlikeness

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

By promoting healthy habits and reducing health disparities, these programs create a more equitable and supportive workplace environment for all. —Alex Shubat, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025

This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025

There have been gains in graduation, though, and this year’s disparity between Black and non-Black students finishing school — 7.8 percentage points — was the lowest in school history, the district said in a news release, and was more than 10 points better than when the program began in 2016. —Jack Evans, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025

The film used a comedic and romantic tone to comment on various themes, from how lack of sanitation creates gender disparity and puts women at risk, to the health hazards of a lack of indoor plumbing. —Birgit Skarstein, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025

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

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