disparity

/dəˈspɛrədi/

/dɪsˈpɛrɪti/

Other forms: disparities

If there is a disparity between how great you think you are at tennis and how you actually play, you are probably surprised by how often you lose. Disparity is the condition of being unequal, and a disparity is a noticeable difference.

Disparity usually refers to a difference that is unfair: economic disparities exist among ethnic groups, there is a disparity between what men and women earn in the same job. This noun derives from Latin dispar "unequal." The opposite of disparity is parity, the condition of being equal or the same.

Definitions of disparity

1. noun

   inequality or difference in some respect
   types:

   far cry

   a disappointing disparity

   gap, spread

   a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures

   chasm, disconnect, disconnection, gulf

   an unbridgeable disparity (as from a failure of understanding)

   disproportion

   lack of proportion; imbalance among the parts of something

   type of:

   inequality

   lack of equality