Egalitarians

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals who advocate for equality among all people in social, political, and economic contexts
2. Individuals who support the idea that everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities in society
3. People committed to the principle that social and economic disparities should be minimized or eliminated in favor of equal treatment for all

Etymology: "Egalitarians" is simply the plural of "egalitarian," so the story belongs to the singular. That adjective comes from French "égalitaire," which is built on "égal," meaning "equal," and the English ending "-ian" turns that base into a word for a person or a supporter of a principle. The result is a label for people who favour erasing social and economic gaps so that everyone is treated the same. The French root "égal" traces back to Latin "aequalis," from "aequus," "level" or "even," which is also the source of the English "equal." The French form arrived in English through the same kind of borrowing that brought many political terms into the language, and the "-ian" ending gives the noun its personal sense: a person who holds to the principle.

Synonyms: equalitarians, socialists, liberals, progressives, humanitarians

Antonyms: elitists, aristocrats, hierarchists, discriminators, inegalitarians