inequality

C1 Topic:Economics & Markets

US /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/ UK /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti/ See IPA manual

Freq #28883

Meanings

1

noun
An unfair difference between groups of people, especially in wealth or opportunity.

The growing inequality between rich and poor worried economists.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

difference disparityimparityinequationnonequivilenceunevenness

Opposites

equality

Word family

Forms inequalities

Related forms disequilibrium imbalance instability prejudice

Etymology

From Middle English inequalite, from Old French inequalité, from Medieval Latin inaequālitās, from Latin inaequālis (“unequal”), from in- (“not”) + aequālis (“equal”). Morphologically inequal + -ity and in- + equality.

inequalite Middle English inequalité Old French inaequālitās la-med inaequālis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Economics & Markets Social Issues & Human Rights Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# inequality

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti/
**Frequency rank:** 28883

## Meanings
1. An unfair difference between groups of people, especially in wealth or opportunity.

## Examples
- The growing inequality between rich and poor worried economists.

## Synonyms
- difference
- disparity
- imparity
- inequation
- nonequivilence
- unevenness

## Antonyms
- equality

## Related Forms
- disequilibrium
- imbalance
- instability
- prejudice

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: inequalite
- Root: inequalité
- Root: inaequālitās
- Root: inaequālis

## Etymology
From Middle English inequalite, from Old French inequalité, from Medieval Latin inaequālitās, from Latin inaequālis (“unequal”), from in- (“not”) + aequālis (“equal”). Morphologically inequal + -ity and in- + equality.

## AI Etymology
Inequality comes from Middle English inequalite, from Old French inequalité, from Medieval Latin inaequālitās, from Latin inaequālis (“unequal”), from in- (“not”) + aequālis (“equal”). Morphologically inequal + -ity and in- + equality. The historical chain includes inequalite (Middle English), inequalité (Old French), inaequālitās (Medieval Latin), and inaequālis (Latin). The surrounding word family includes related forms such as disequilibrium, imbalance, and instability. In present use it covers an unfair difference between groups of people, especially in wealth or opportunity.

## Topics
- Economics & Markets
- Social Issues & Human Rights
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown