English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French equalité (modern French égalité), from Latin aequālitās, aequālitātem. Doublet of equity. By surface analysis, equal +‎ -ity

Pronunciation

Noun

equality (usually uncountable, plural equalities)

  1. The fact of being equal.
  2. (mathematics) The fact of being equal, of having the same value. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  3. The equal treatment of people irrespective of social or cultural differences.
    • 1964 December 13, Harry S. Truman, 8:26 from the start, in MP77-34 KCMO-TV News Segments, 1964-1966[1], Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162:
      I think somebody asked me the other day when I was holding a conference over here at the library if a woman could be President of the United States. Well I said they've taken over everything else in the world, why not that? [Laughter] And that wouldn't surprise me if it doesn't happen one of these days because the country believes in equality.
    • 2020 December 12, Ouyang Fei, “The Issue of Equality in the U.S. Election and Its Communist Roots”, in Minghui[2], archived from the original on 18 September 2023:
      Jefferson was talking about the equality of natural human rights. You have freedom, and I have freedom. You and I have equal rights to freedom.
    • 2023 May 6, Marcie Bianco, “Opinion: For women, it’s past time to give up the ghost of equality”, in CNN[3], archived from the original on 1 June 2023:
      Why are women waiting for men — who are the majority of our politicians, justices and judges — to benevolently bestow equality unto us? Here you go, little ladies, welcome to our club, classroom, workplace and C-suite…if you play by our rules.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also

(social, legal):

  • equity
  • fairness (fairness is not always equality, but some inequality is unfair)

References