inequality

noun

in·​equal·​i·​ty ˌi-ni-ˈkwä-lə-tē How to pronounce inequality (audio)
Synonyms of inequality
1
: the quality of being unequal or uneven: such as
a
: social disparity
economic/racial/gender inequality
b
: disparity of distribution or opportunity
inequality of income/employment/education
c
: lack of evenness
hampered by the inequality of the ground
d
: the condition of being variable : changeableness
2
: an instance of being unequal
3
: a formal statement of inequality between two quantities usually separated by a sign of inequality (such as <, >, or ≠ signifying respectively is less than, is greater than, or is not equal to)

Examples of inequality in a Sentence

They discussed the problem of inequality between students. He accused the company of inequality in its hiring practices. He has proposed a new system designed to remove inequalities in health care.
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.
Over the past 50 years, education financing lawsuits, aimed at eliminating inequalities in education funding, have made their way through state courts, with some important and high-profile successes. — Quinn Yeargain, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026 Los Angeles is a city of stark inequality, which makes the arrival of George Lucas‘s billion-dollar Lucas Museum of Narrative Art especially charged, as Jori Finkel writes in the Art Newspaper. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Montjane, the tennis star, said structural inequalities are also still evident in sport, where financial obstacles determine who gets access to elite competition, despite a select few reaching an elite level. — Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Its themes of environmental fragility, social inequality, labour and belonging resonate strongly with the identity of our region. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inequality

Word History

Etymology

Middle English inequalite, from Latin inaequalitat-, inaequalitas, from inaequalis unequal, from in- + aequalis equal

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inequality was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing inequality

Rhymes for inequality

See All Rhymes for inequality

Browse Nearby Words

inequalitarian
inequality
inequigranular
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inequality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inequality. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

inequality

noun
in·​equal·​i·​ty ˌin-i-ˈkwäl-ət-ē How to pronounce inequality (audio)
plural inequalities
1
: the quality of being unequal
2
: an instance of being unequal (as an irregularity in a surface)
3
: a statement in mathematics or logic that two quantities usually separated by a special sign (as <, >, or ≠ respectively meaning "is less than," "is greater than," or "is not equal to") are not equal
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All