egalitarian
ih-gal-ih-TAIR-ee-un
/iˌɡæl.ɪˈteər.i.ən/
Believing in or based on the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
Describes social models, policies, or moral philosophies aimed at removing structural class and political barriers.
The story behind the word. Rooted in the Latin 'aequalis', the word reached modern English through the French slogan of the 1789 Revolution: 'Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité'. 'Égalité' gave rise to 'egalitarian' to describe a believer in social equality.
Word relationships
- equalitarian: An older, exact synonym, though 'egalitarian' is far more widely used today.
- democratic: 'Democratic' focuses on voting power, while 'egalitarian' focuses on equal social and economic status.
- elitist: Elitist believes power and wealth should belong exclusively to a select top group.
- hierarchical: Hierarchical structures people into superior and inferior social ranks.
Commonly confused with
- humanitarian: Humanitarian focuses on alleviating human suffering; egalitarian focuses on political and economic equality.
Word family
- egalitarianism (noun): The belief in human equality.
Collocations
- egalitarian society
- egalitarian ideals
- egalitarian distribution
- egalitarian principles
Example sentences
- "An egalitarian distribution of educational funding ensures every child has equal opportunities regardless of zip code." Political philosophy essay.
- "Early foraging bands were strikingly egalitarian, sharing food resources without central authority." Anthropological study of hunter-gatherer societies.
Memory hook
EGAL-itarian: French ÉGAL means EQUAL. An egalitarian wants EQUAL rights for all. Equal status and rights for everyone.
When not to use
Do not use to describe simple biological identity or physical uniformity.
Fun facts
- In anthropology, hunter-gatherer societies are often described as 'assertively egalitarian' because they actively discourage individuals from boasting or dominating others.
Related words
Explore more words
Equality, equitable, distributive, peer, inclusivity, inclusive
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