di ‧ spar ‧ i ‧ ty /dɪˈspærəti, dɪˈspærɪti/ BrE AmE noun ( plural disparities ) [uncountable and countable] formal
a difference between two or more things, especially an unfair one ⇨ parity
disparity in/between
a disparity between the rates of pay for men and women
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THESAURUS
▪ difference a detail, fact, or quality that makes one person or thing different from another:
We should think about the similarities between cultures, not the differences.
| difference between :
Try and spot the differences between these two pictures.
|
The difference between the two cheeses is that one is made from goat’s milk.
| difference in :
I don’t think there’s any difference in the way you pronounce these two words.
| know the difference :
He’s speaking Italian, not Spanish. Don’t you know the difference?
▪ contrast a very clear difference that you can easily see when you compare two things or people: contrast between something/somebody and something/somebody :
What surprised me was the contrast between Picasso’s early style and his later work.
▪ gap a big difference between two amounts, two ages, or two groups of people: gap between :
There’s a ten-year gap between Kay’s two children.
|
The gap between rich and poor is wider in the South than in the rest of the country.
| age/gender/income etc gap :
The age gap between us didn’t seem to matter until we decided to have children.
▪ gulf a very big difference and lack of understanding between two groups of people, especially in their beliefs, opinions, and way of life: gulf between somebody and somebody :
More riots led to a growing gulf between the police and the communities in which they worked.
| bridge/cross the gulf (=improve understanding and communication) :
The central problem was how to bridge the gulf between the warring factions of the party.
▪ disparity formal a big difference between two groups of people or things – use this especially when you think the difference is unfair or may cause problems: disparity between :
It is not easy to explain the disparity that still exists between the salaries of men and women.
| disparity in :
the disparity in wealth between the highest and the lowest employees
| the economic/income etc disparity :
The economic disparity between the area’s black and white citizens is a serious problem.