noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:ĭnĭkwŏl'ĭtē
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti/
London:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:ĭn-ĭʹkwŏ-lĭ-tē
US:/ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/
US:[ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ɾi]
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N IH0 K W AA1 L AH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:IH2 N AH0 K W AA1 L AH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 3:IH1 N IY0 K W AA1 L AH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Absence of equality.
A condition or state (of social, cultural, or legal matters) that is not equal; especially, such a condition that is thereby also unfair.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The inequality in living standards led to a civil war as the have-nots rebelled.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unequality, unequalness, inequalness
Antonyms: equality, equalness
2
noun
Meaning 2
Absence of equality.
A statement that of two quantities one is specifically less than (or greater than) another. Symbol: < or ≤ or > or ≥ or ne , as appropriate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: mathematics, sciences
Examples
The inequality x is less than y, together with that ylt;z, allows us to deduce the inequality xlt;z.
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.
Across languages
Translations
79 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
عَدَم مُسَاوَاة
(ʕadam musāwāh)
— unfair, not equal, state
Asturian:
desigualdá
— unfair, not equal, state
Azerbaijani:
qeyri-bərabərlik
— unfair, not equal, state
Azerbaijani:
bərabərsizlik
— unfair, not equal, state
Belarusian:
няро́ўнасць
(njarównascʹ)
— unfair, not equal, state
Bulgarian:
нера́венство
(nerávenstvo)
— unfair, not equal, state
Catalan:
desigualtat
— unfair, not equal, state
Chinese Mandarin:
不平等
(bùpíngděng)
— unfair, not equal, state
Czech:
nerovnost
— unfair, not equal, state
Danish:
ulighed
— unfair, not equal, state
Dutch:
ongelijkheid
— unfair, not equal, state
Esperanto:
malegaleco
— unfair, not equal, state
Finnish:
epätasa-arvo
— unfair, not equal, state
Finnish:
eriarvoisuus
— unfair, not equal, state
French:
inégalité
— unfair, not equal, state
Galician:
desigualdade
— unfair, not equal, state
Georgian:
უთანასწორობა
(utanasc̣oroba)
— unfair, not equal, state
Georgian:
უთანაბრობა
(utanabroba)
— unfair, not equal, state
Georgian:
არათანასწორობა
(aratanasc̣oroba)
— unfair, not equal, state
German:
Ungleichheit
— unfair, not equal, state
Greek:
ανισότητα
(anisótita)
— unfair, not equal, state
Ancient Greek:
ἀνισότης
(anisótēs)
— unfair, not equal, state
Hindi:
असमानता
(asamāntā)
— unfair, not equal, state
Indonesian:
ketimpangan
— unfair, not equal, state
Japanese:
不平等
(fubyōdō)
— unfair, not equal, state
Korean:
불평등
(bulpyeongdeung)
— unfair, not equal, state
Northern Kurdish:
newekhevî
— unfair, not equal, state
Northern Kurdish:
neyeksanî
— unfair, not equal, state
Latin:
inīquitās
— unfair, not equal, state
Macedonian:
нееднаквост
(neednakvost)
— unfair, not equal, state
Malay:
ketidaksamaan
— unfair, not equal, state
Malay:
ketaksamaan
— unfair, not equal, state
Occitan:
inegalitat
— unfair, not equal, state
Persian:
نابرابری
(nâbarâbari)
— unfair, not equal, state
Polish:
nierówność
— unfair, not equal, state
Portuguese:
desigualdade
— unfair, not equal, state
Romanian:
inegalitate
— unfair, not equal, state
Russian:
нера́венство
(nerávenstvo)
— unfair, not equal, state
Serbo-Croatian:
неједна́ко̄ст
— unfair, not equal, state
Serbo-Croatian:
nejednákōst
— unfair, not equal, state
Slovak:
nerovnosť
— unfair, not equal, state
Slovene:
neenakost
— unfair, not equal, state
Spanish:
desigualdad
— unfair, not equal, state
Swedish:
ojämlikhet
— unfair, not equal, state
Ukrainian:
нері́вність
(nerívnistʹ)
— unfair, not equal, state
Urdu:
غیر یکسانیت
(ġer eksānet)
— unfair, not equal, state
Urdu:
نابرابری
— unfair, not equal, state
Welsh:
anghydraddoldeb
— unfair, not equal, state
Azerbaijani:
bərabərsizlik
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Belarusian:
няро́ўнасць
(njarównascʹ)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Bulgarian:
нера́венство
(nerávenstvo)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Catalan:
desigualtat
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Chinese Mandarin:
不等式
(bùděngshì)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Czech:
nerovnice
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Danish:
ulighed
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Dutch:
ongelijkheid
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Finnish:
epäyhtälö
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
French:
inéquation
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Georgian:
უტოლობა
(uṭoloba)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
German:
Ungleichung
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Greek:
ανισότητα
(anisótita)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Hindi:
असमिका
(asmikā)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Icelandic:
ójafna
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Indonesian:
pertidaksamaan
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Italian:
disequazione f disuguaglianza
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Japanese:
不等式
(futōshiki)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Kazakh:
теңсіздік
(teñsızdık)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Korean:
부등식
(budeungsik)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Malay:
ketaksamaan
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Polish:
nierówność
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Portuguese:
inequação
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Portuguese:
desigualdade
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Romanian:
inecuație
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Russian:
нера́венство
(nerávenstvo)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Spanish:
inecuación
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Spanish:
desigualdad
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Swedish:
olikhet
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Ukrainian:
нері́вність
(nerívnistʹ)
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another
Vietnamese:
bất đẳng thức
— statement that one quantity is less (or greater) than another