Parities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The condition of being equal or equivalent can manifest in various situations, emphasizing fairness and balance across different entities
2. Instances of uniformity across measures or values highlight the state of equality among varying standards or systems
3. Situations in which two or more elements match in value, amount, or status emphasizing equivalence

Etymology: Parities is simply the plural of "parity," so the story belongs to that root. The noun comes from Latin "pār," meaning "equal," and reached English through Middle French "parité" and the Late Latin "paritās." English speakers used it first in the sense of equality of rank or condition, and the sense of matching measures or values developed from that base. A second Latin origin is also recorded: "paritas" is connected to "pariō," meaning "give birth," which is a different root that happens to look identical. Its link to equality is not part of the same line, so the two should be kept apart. The plural form appears when the word is used for several separate instances of that equality, such as multiple cases where two systems or standards agree. Because the singular already names an abstract state, the plural turns it into a count of those states.

Synonyms: equality, equivalence, similarity

Antonyms: inequality, disparity