Definition
Inequality is a situation where people do not have the same rights, opportunities, or resources. It often refers to unfair differences in income, education, or treatment.
Etymology
It comes from Latin “inaequalitas,” from “in-” (not) and “aequalis” (equal, level). The term has been used in English for centuries to describe both mathematical and social differences.
Kelly Says
In math, an inequality is just a symbol like > or <, but in society it can shape whole lives. The word is neutral by itself, yet we almost always use it to talk about unfairness. It quietly asks a hard question: which differences are natural, and which ones are unacceptable?
Translations
AMአማርኛ
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
ARالعربية
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
CACatalà
inequitat
in-e-ki-tat
CSČeština
nerovnost
ne-ro-v-nost
DADansk
ulighed
u-lig-hed
DEDeutsch
Ungleichheit
un-glick-hayt
ELΕλληνικά
αδικία
a-di-kia
ESEspañol
desigualdad
des-i-gual-dad
FAفارسی
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
FISuomi
epätasa-arvo
e-pa-ta-sa-ar-vo
FRFrançais
inégalité
in-e-ga-li-te
GUGU
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
HAHA
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
HEעברית
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
HIहिन्दी
असमानता
as-amaan-ta
HUMagyar
egyenlőtlenség
e-gyen-lo-tlen-seg
IDBahasa Indonesia
ketidaksetaraan
ke-ti-da-ke-set-araan
IGIG
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
ITItaliano
disuguaglianza
di-su-gual-gian-za
JA日本語
不平等 (ふびょうどう)
fu-byou-dou
KKKK
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
KMKM
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
KO한국어
불평등 (불평등)
bul-pyeong-deung
MRMR
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
MSBahasa Melayu
ketidakadilan
ke-ti-dak-a-dil-an
MYမြန်မာ
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
NLNederlands
ongelijkheid
on-ge-lijk-heid
PAPA
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
PLPolski
nierówność
nier-o-v-nosc
PTPortuguês
desigualdade
des-i-gual-dade
RORomână
inegalitate
in-e-ga-li-tate
RUРусский
неравенство
ne-ra-ven-stvo
SVSvenska
olikhet
o-li-ket
SWKiswahili
tofauti
to-fa-u-ti
TAதமிழ்
சமத்துவமின்மை
sa-mat-thu-va-min-mai
TEతెలుగు
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
THไทย
ความเหลื่อมล้ำ
kwan-lum-laam
TLTL
pagkakaiba
pa-ga-ka-ka-iba
TRTürkçe
eşitsizlik
e-sit-siz-lik
UKУкраїнська
нерівності
ne-ri-v-nosti
URاردو
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
VITiếng Việt
bất bình đẳng
bat-binh-dang-le
YOYO
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
ZH中文
不平等 (bù píng děng)
bu-ping-ding
ZUZU
inequality
in-e-kual-i-ti
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
‘Inequality’ is central to discussions of gender pay gaps, educational access, and political representation. Historically, language about inequality often normalized male advantage as the default and framed women’s demands as exceptional.
Inclusive Usage
Be specific about the type of inequality (gender, racial, economic) and include women, nonbinary people, and intersecting identities in analysis rather than treating ‘women’ as a single homogeneous group.
Empowerment Note
When discussing gender inequality, include women’s organizing, scholarship, and leadership in challenging unequal structures, not only their victimization.