Inequality

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti/

Definitions

1. A state of being unequal in status, rights, opportunities, or distribution of resources among individuals or groups
2. The condition of lacking equal treatment, opportunities, or distribution among people or groups
3. A situation marked by disparity in social standing, access, or resource allocation between different parties

Etymology: Inequality is a plain construction, built from parts that were already in use: "inaequālis" in Latin meant "unequal," formed from "in-" ("not") and "aequālis" ("equal," from "aequus," "level" or "even"). Latin speakers then formed "inaequālitās" from that adjective, and the word passed through Old French "inequalité" into Middle English as "inequalite," before the modern spelling settled in. Its path into English ran through Medieval Latin and French, so the Latin root stayed intact while the English noun grew out of the adjective "inequal" plus the suffix "-ity." The word's meaning has widened over time. Its earliest English senses were largely about measurable difference, such as uneven sizes, amounts, or levels, and only later did it take on the social sense of unequal status or rights. That shift is why the same word now covers both a lopsided pile of coins and a lopsided society.

Synonyms: disparity, imbalance, discrepancy, inequity, unfairness

Antonyms: equality, fairness, equity, similarity, uniformity