parity
PAR-i-tee
/ˈpærəti/
The state or condition of being equal, especially regarding status or pay.
In healthcare, 'mental health parity' refers to the legal requirement that insurance covers mental health just as well as physical health.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'paritas', from 'par' (equal). It’s the same root that gives us 'par' in golf (the equal/standard score) and 'peer' (someone who is your equal).
Word relationships
- equality: Equality is a general term; parity is often used in technical, legal, or economic contexts to mean 'equivalence'.
- disparity: Disparity is the lack of equality, the direct opposite of parity.
Commonly confused with
- equity: Parity means being equal; equity means being fair (which might mean giving more to those who have less).
Word family
- disparity (noun): a great difference.
Collocations
- achieve parity
- pay parity
- mental health parity
- purchasing power parity
Example sentences
- "The law was designed to ensure parity between mental health and surgical benefits." Insurance law
- "The company has finally achieved gender parity on its board of directors." Gender equality
Memory hook
Think of a 'pair'—two things that are the same. Parity is the state of being a perfect pair. On a par with.
When not to use
Don't use it for things that are just 'similar'; it means they are exactly equal in value or status.
Fun facts
- In physics, parity refers to a type of symmetry in space, which was famously discovered to be 'violated' in certain nuclear reactions.
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