disparity

noun

dis·​par·​i·​ty di-ˈsper-ə-tē How to pronounce disparity (audio)
-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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Overshadowing Urgent Health Priorities This misplaced focus on a singular, misleading statistic diverts attention from the actual causes of health disparities. Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 The Commonwealth Fund ranks Georgia 45th in its latest Scorecard on State Health System Performance, which grades the states on health care access, prevention and treatment, efficiency, healthy lives, and health disparities. Scott Cohn, CNBC, 14 July 2025 This achievement serves as a clear testament to the hard work and dedication Choi has invested in becoming a pioneer in reducing health disparities and improving access to health services. Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 12 July 2025 Curtailing studies of health disparities weakens efforts to improve maternal mortality rates, particularly in communities of color, people who have low income and gender-diverse communities. Matt Motta, Scientific American, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for disparity

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of disparity was in 1571

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Cite this Entry

“Disparity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disparity. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Medical Definition

disparity

noun
dis·​par·​i·​ty dis-ˈpar-ət-ē How to pronounce disparity (audio)
plural disparities
: the state of being different or dissimilar (as in the sensory information received) see retinal disparity

More from Merriam-Webster on disparity

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