inequality
Gap between groups
Inequality is the state of being unequal—a difference in size, degree, or circumstance.
In mathematics, it's a statement that two quantities are not equal: 3 < 5.
In social contexts, inequality refers to disparities in wealth, opportunity, or treatment: income inequality, racial inequality.
The word implies the difference matters and often shouldn't exist.
Removal of voting rights
- injusticeDenial of fair treatment
- oppressionUnjust exercise of power
- marginalizationRelegation to powerless periphery
- civil libertiesRights limiting government power
voting rights · human rights · discrimination · due process · legal aid · representation · authoritarianism · persecution
Lack of proportion
- disproportionLack of proper balance
- gapUnfilled space between
- discrepancyDifference between expected and actual
- asymmetryAbsence of balanced form
unevenness · divide · chasm · gradient · differential · variance · deviation · mismatch
Prejudice based on ethnicity
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
- segregationForced separation by group
- redliningRefusing loans by neighborhood
- apartheidRacial separation policy
Jim Crow · colorism · white privilege · racial profiling · civil rights · affirmative action · systemic racism · minorities
Severe lack of resources
- affluenceAbundance of money
- income gapEarnings difference between groups
- billionairePerson worth ten figures
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
taxation · redistribution · plutocracy · oligarchy · gentrification · capital gains · estate tax · trust funds
Gender-based prejudice
- pay gapEarnings difference between groups
- glass ceilingUnacknowledged limit blocking advancement
- patriarchyMale-dominated social order
- misogynyHostility toward women
gender roles · maternity leave · discrimination · reproductive rights · suffrage · feminism · unpaid labor · women's rights
Prejudice by economic rank
- casteInherited social division
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- stratificationDivision into distinct levels
- elitismPreference for privileged rule
privilege · exclusion · underclass · bourgeoisie · proletariat · aristocracy · status · meritocracy
Disparity in earnings
- unemploymentBeing without paid work
- underemploymentInsufficient use of labor capacity
- job discriminationPrejudice in hiring or promotion
- glass ceilingUnacknowledged limit blocking advancement
minimum wage · living wage · career advancement · labor exploitation · worker's rights · unionization · gig economy · job insecurity
Educational performance inequality
- school fundingMoney allocated to schools
- digital divideUnequal access to computers/internet
- literacy gapDisparity in reading ability
- dropout ratesProportion leaving before completion
college access · tuition fees · student debt · teacher quality · tracking · early childhood education · opportunity gap · scholarships
Unequal outcomes between populations
- uninsuredLacking protective coverage
- medical debtMoney owed for treatment
- accessibilityEase of approach
- infant mortalityDeath rate under one
life expectancy · chronic illness · preventive care · prescription costs · underinsured · maternal mortality · food deserts · mental health access
Larger in value
- less thanBelow in amount
- symbolRepresentational mark or sign
- expressionConveyed thought or feeling
- variableProne to fluctuation
coefficient · absolute value · quadratic · linear · solve · algebraic · polynomial · calculus
disenfranchisement
Removal of voting rights
- injusticeDenial of fair treatment
- oppressionUnjust exercise of power
- marginalizationRelegation to powerless periphery
civil liberties · voting rights · human rights · discrimination · due process · legal aid · representation · authoritarianism · persecution · asylum
imbalance
Lack of proportion
- disproportionLack of proper balance
- gapUnfilled space between
- discrepancyDifference between expected and actual
asymmetry · unevenness · divide · chasm · gradient · differential · variance · deviation · mismatch · contrast
racism
Prejudice based on ethnicity
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
- segregationForced separation by group
- redliningRefusing loans by neighborhood
apartheid · Jim Crow · colorism · white privilege · racial profiling · civil rights · affirmative action · systemic racism · minorities · xenophobia
poverty
Severe lack of resources
- affluenceAbundance of money
- income gapEarnings difference between groups
- billionairePerson worth ten figures
inheritance · taxation · redistribution · plutocracy · oligarchy · gentrification · capital gains · estate tax · trust funds · offshore accounts
sexism
Gender-based prejudice
- pay gapEarnings difference between groups
- glass ceilingUnacknowledged limit blocking advancement
- patriarchyMale-dominated social order
misogyny · gender roles · maternity leave · discrimination · reproductive rights · suffrage · feminism · unpaid labor · women's rights · empowerment
classism
Prejudice by economic rank
- casteInherited social division
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- stratificationDivision into distinct levels
elitism · privilege · exclusion · underclass · bourgeoisie · proletariat · aristocracy · status · meritocracy · social mobility
wage gap
Disparity in earnings
- unemploymentBeing without paid work
- underemploymentInsufficient use of labor capacity
- job discriminationPrejudice in hiring or promotion
glass ceiling · minimum wage · living wage · career advancement · labor exploitation · worker's rights · unionization · gig economy · job insecurity
achievement gap
Educational performance inequality
- school fundingMoney allocated to schools
- digital divideUnequal access to computers/internet
- literacy gapDisparity in reading ability
dropout rates · college access · tuition fees · student debt · teacher quality · tracking · early childhood education · opportunity gap · scholarships · educational attainment
health disparities
Unequal outcomes between populations
- uninsuredLacking protective coverage
- medical debtMoney owed for treatment
- accessibilityEase of approach
infant mortality · life expectancy · chronic illness · preventive care · prescription costs · underinsured · maternal mortality · food deserts · mental health access
greater than
Larger in value
- less thanBelow in amount
- symbolRepresentational mark or sign
- expressionConveyed thought or feeling
variable · coefficient · absolute value · quadratic · linear · solve · algebraic · polynomial · calculus · proof
- Dystopia1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four, dystopian fiction, totalitarianism, Brave New World
- injusticeinjustice, discrimination, bias, prejudice, bigotry
- social issuesracism, poverty, illiteracy, homelessness, child labor
- imbalanceimbalance, disequilibrium, disproportion, asymmetry, lopsidedness
- algebravariables, equations, polynomials, algebraic equations, roots
- social historyeveryday life, social class, social movements, working class, middle class
inequalityequality
Same status for all
equity · fairness · parity · equal opportunity · egalitarianism
inequalityequality
Same status for all
equal · equivalence · equation · parity · balance
inequalitysameness
State of being identical
uniformity · evenness · similarity · likeness · homogeneity
- economic inequalityUneven distribution of resources
- racial inequalityUnequal treatment across races
- income inequalityDisparity in earnings distribution
- gender inequalityUnequal treatment based on sex
- social inequalityUneven distribution of opportunity
- wealth inequalityUnequal distribution of assets