egalitarian
ih-gal-i-TARE-ee-un
/ɪˌɡælɪˈtɛːrɪən/
Believing in or based on the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
Focuses on removing unjust social hierarchies, wealth gaps, and privilege to create equal conditions for all.
The story behind the word. Formed from the French word 'égal' during the 19th century, drawing direct inspiration from the French Revolutionary slogan 'Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité'. It entered English as a formal term for political equality.
Word relationships
- equitable: Equitable means fair and impartial, whereas egalitarian specifically aims for equal rights and conditions.
- classless: Classless means lacking social divisions, which is one component of an egalitarian philosophy.
- hierarchical: Hierarchical systems organize society into strict, ranked levels of power and privilege.
- elitist: Elitist views promote special privileges and leadership roles for a select upper tier.
Commonly confused with
- equalitarian: 'Equalitarian' is a rare variant; 'egalitarian' is the standard scholarly and everyday term.
Word family
- egalitarianism (noun): The doctrine that all people should have equal rights and opportunities.
Collocations
- egalitarian society
- egalitarian principles
- egalitarian approach
- egalitarian distribution
Idioms & expressions
- level playing field
- equal seat at the table
Example sentences
- "The reformers sought to build a more egalitarian society through universal free public education." Social Reform
- "The startup adopted an egalitarian structure, eliminating executive dining rooms and fixed office hierarchies." Organizational Culture
Memory hook
EGALITARIAN comes from French ÉGAL, which means EQUAL. Égal means equal rights for all.
When not to use
Do not use to describe systems that purposefully rank people by royalty, hereditary title, or strict caste.
Fun facts
- Anthropologists consider ancient hunter-gatherer bands to be the most egalitarian human societies in history.
Related words
Explore more words
Equality, equitable, distributive, peer, inclusivity, inclusive
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