Meaning & use
equality
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Meanings
noununcountable
The situation in which all people have the same rights, chances and standing in society.
Grammar: Often followed by between or for: equality between men and women.
Patterns
- equality between people
- equality for someone
- equality of something
The group campaigns for equality between men and women.
Equality in the workplace means fair pay for equal work.
The school promotes equality for all pupils.
noununcountablemathematics
The state of being the same in amount, size or value as something else.
Grammar: Used in math and general comparison.
Patterns
- equality of something
- the equality of two things
The equality of the two angles proves the triangle is isosceles.
The sign shows the equality of both sides of the equation.
The judges noted the equality of the two scores.
Word forms
| plural | equalities |
|---|
Common combinations
- gender equality
- The law aims to improve gender equality.
- racial equality
- The march was held in support of racial equality.
- equality before the law
- A fair court guarantees equality before the law.
- promote equality
- Employers must promote equality at work.
- fight for equality
- They fought for equality for decades.
- equality of opportunity
- Equality of opportunity gives everyone a fair start.
Synonyms and how they differ
- parity
- Parity means being equal in amount or level, as in pay parity, and it is more formal and numerical than equality.
- fairness
- Fairness is about being just in treatment, while equality means treating people the same, which is not always the fairest approach.
- equity
- Equity means fairness that adjusts for different needs, whereas equality gives the same treatment to everyone.
- sameness
- Sameness is a neutral word for being identical, while equality is about rights and value.
Opposites
Word family
- equal adjective
- the same in amount, size or value
- equal verb
- to be the same as
- equally adverb
- in the same way or amount
- inequality noun
- an unfair difference in rights or wealth
- equalize verb
- to make equal
Commonly confused: equality or equity?
equality vs equity
Equity means fair treatment that takes account of different needs, while equality means giving everyone the same.
Practice
Supporters say that ___ between men and women in the workplace means equal pay for equal work.
Choose one answer.
Equality between groups means having the same rights and standing. 'Equity' is a close term but concerns fairness adjusted for need, so it does not fit as well.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “equality”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.