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DictionaryparityEquality
noun

parity

PAIR-uh-tee/ˈpærəti/

Equality in value, status, or amount.

The equal stacks of coins show parity on the balanced scale.

A level balance scale with equal stacks of identical coins on each pan.
Etymology
parLatinequal
+ityLatinstate or condition

The pieces express the condition of being equal. English first used the word for equality of rank or status, then more generally for being on the same level.

In context

Central Arkansas Library System31:34
There's another kind of placemaking that can be dangerous and that is the performance of parity or equality with whites.
Carmen Williams—“Inevitable Insult and Humiliation”: Black Women Writers of Arkansas

More examples

  • The dollar approaches parity with the euro.
  • Both parties have parity in their representation on the committee.
  • The two teams reach parity in funding this year.

Forms

parity · parities

disparity noun — A difference in value, status, or amount.

Similar words

equality
Equality is broader; parity often compares two sides directly.
equivalence
Equivalence can mean matching function or effect, not identical amounts.
balance
Balance suggests offsetting forces or proportions rather than exact equality.