egalitarian
ih-gal-ih-TAIR-ee-uhn
/ɪˌɡæl.ɪˈteər.i.ən/
Believing in or advocating for the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
Emphasizes structural and social equality, advocating for the removal of artificial hierarchies or systemic barriers.
The story behind the word. Derived from French 'égalité' (equality), which traces back to Latin 'aequus' meaning level or equal. It entered English in the 19th century as political thinkers analyzed social reform movements.
Word relationships
- equalitarian: Direct synonym, though 'egalitarian' is far more widely used in political philosophy.
- democratic: 'Democratic' focuses specifically on voting and political governance, whereas 'egalitarian' encompasses broader social and economic structures.
- elitist: Believes that governance or privilege should belong exclusively to a select group.
- hierarchical: Organized according to ranked levels of importance or authority.
Commonly confused with
- elitist: Egalitarian seeks equality for all; elitist favors dominance by a privileged minority.
Word family
- egalitarianism (noun): The doctrine that all people should have equal rights.
Collocations
- egalitarian principles
- egalitarian society
- egalitarian ethos
- egalitarian ideology
Example sentences
- "An egalitarian distribution of fundamental political rights ensures that every citizen's voice carries equal weight." Political Philosophy
- "The reformers sought to establish a more egalitarian society by eliminating feudal privileges." Social History
Memory hook
Think of an EGALitarian society where EGAL sounds like EQUAL for every citizen. Equal rights for all people.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'identical' or 'uniform'; egalitarianism seeks equal rights and status, not identical traits or outcomes.
Fun facts
- The term gained widespread traction after the French Revolution's motto: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.
Explore more words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.