disparate
Americanadjective
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- disparately adverb
- disparateness noun
- nondisparate adjective
- nondisparately adverb
- nondisparateness noun
Etymology
Origin of disparate
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin disparātus “separated,” past participle of disparāre “to separate,” from dis- dis- 1 + parāre “to make ready” ( pare )
Explanation
The trunk of some people's cars may contain items as disparate as old clothes, rotting food, and possibly a missing relative. Disparate things are very different from each other. Near synonyms are unequal and dissimilar. The adjective disparate is from Latin disparātus, from disparāre "to separate, divide," from the prefix dis- "apart" plus parāre "to prepare." Disparate in the sense of "very different" probably developed by association with the Latin adjective dispar "unequal, different."
Vocabulary lists containing disparate
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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"A Quilt of a Country," Vocabulary from the argument
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two European security officials said it appeared hastily assembled with the help of AI—an apparent attempt to present disparate actions as the work of a single organization.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
It’s almost funny how thematically similar yet ultimately disparate “Tow” is to “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta opened a civil rights investigation last month into the county’s response to the Eaton fire in Altadena, looking at disparate effects based on race, age and disability.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026
What’s more, she argues, Alibaba is trading at a conglomerate discount and could be worth more if investors truly appreciated the value in its disparate businesses.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
In 1904, a single image captured under a microscope provided a unifying cause for all these seemingly disparate symptoms.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
