egalitarian
ih-gal-uh-TAIR-ee-uhn
/iˌɡæl.ɪˈtɛər.i.ən/
Believing in or based on the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
Focuses on fundamental equality in rights, status, and opportunity rather than exact identity of outcomes.
The story behind the word. Borrowed from 19th-century French 'égalitaire', derived from 'égal' (equal), which traces back to Latin 'aequalis'. It gained international currency during political movements demanding equal civil rights.
Word relationships
- democratic: Democratic emphasizes governance by popular voting, whereas egalitarian focuses on broad equality of status and opportunity.
- elitist: Elitist favors concentrated power and privilege held by a select group.
- authoritarian: Enforces strict hierarchy and obedience rather than social equality.
Commonly confused with
- equitable: Equitable means fair and just based on specific needs, whereas egalitarian emphasizes fundamental equality of rights.
Word family
- egalitarianism (noun): The doctrine that all people are equal.
Collocations
- egalitarian society
- egalitarian principles
- egalitarian approach
Example sentences
- "An egalitarian classroom atmosphere encourages boys and girls to share leadership roles equally." Sociological analysis
Memory hook
EGALitarian = EQUAL rights for everyone. Egal = equal rights.
When not to use
Do not use to mean identical; it describes philosophical frameworks and social structures regarding fairness.
Fun facts
- The French national motto 'Liberté, égalité, fraternité' made 'égalité' a global symbol of civil rights.
Explore more words
Equality, equitable, distributive, peer, inclusivity, inclusive
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