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disparate

adjective
dis·​pa·​rate | \ ˈdis-p(ə-)rət How to pronounce disparate (audio) , di-ˈsper-ət, -ˈspa-rət How to pronounce disparate (audio) \

Definition of disparate

1 : markedly distinct in quality or character
2 : containing or made up of fundamentally different and often incongruous elements
Other Words from disparate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about disparate

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Other Words from disparate

disparately adverb
disparateness noun
disparity \ di-​ˈsper-​ə-​tē How to pronounce disparity (audio) , -​ˈspa-​rə-​ \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for disparate

different, diverse, divergent, disparate, various mean unlike in kind or character. different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness. different foods diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast. such diverse interests as dancing and football divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation. went on to pursue divergent careers disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility. disparate notions of freedom various stresses the number of sorts or kinds. tried various methods

Examples of disparate in a Sentence

First during the nineteen-seventies, but with increasing momentum during the eighties, a loose community of physics researchers had begun to postulate that the disparate small particles that we learned about in high-school science class—electrons, for instance—were actually the varied vibrations of tiny open and closed looped strings. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 21 July 2008 The American border with Mexico is among the most economically disparate intersections in the world, but the cities on either side of the port looked almost identical—a spread of humble brick and cinder-block homes dotting a blanket of brown hills. — Cecilia Balli, Harper's, October 2006 I made the French lemon cream tart that Greenspan credits to Hermé and got disparate reactions. An American friend loved its creaminess and felt it had a comfortingly familiar texture; a British friend … said he missed the traditional sharp, gel-like custard. — Tamasin Day-Lewis, Saveur, November 2006 Like these imagined cities, identical twins are identical only in their blueprints. By the time they are born, they are already disparate in countless neurological and physiological ways that mostly we cannot see. — Frank J. Sulloway, New York Review, 30 Nov. 2006 The plan, as near as anybody outside Yahoo can make out, is to stitch all those disparate organizations into one huge Frankenstein's monster of a search engine that will strike terror into the hearts of all who behold it. — Lev Grossman, Time, 22 Dec. 2003 disparate notions among adults and adolescents about when middle age begins
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Recent Examples on the Web

 As a disparate group of academics, economists, technologists and lawmakers, their politics range from moderately liberal to free-market conservative. — Steve Lohr, New York Times, "Calls Mount to Ease Big Tech’s Grip on Your Data," 25 July 2019 Pennypacker was one member of a disparate group of lawmakers and social reformers across the U.S. who called for an end to unsupervised fireworks and explosives. — Michael Waters, Smithsonian, "The 1900s Movement to Make the Fourth of July Boring (But Safe)," 3 July 2019 These top capital prosecution officials subsequently faced scrutiny and were ousted from their roles in the wake of allegations of misconduct and disparate treatment. — Gabrielle Banks, Houston Chronicle, "Houston judge questions capability of federal prosecutor in San Jacinto County death penalty case," 19 June 2019 Though categorically disparate, Newson’s oeuvre is unified by a severe dedication to craftsmanship, utilizing sometimes long-abandoned artisanal techniques in the most unorthodox of ways. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, "The Hot Seat: Designer Marc Newson Is Celebrated With a Gagosian Gallery Show," 19 Jan. 2019 But analysts and Turkey’s allies alike question whether Ankara can bring the desperate and disparate rebel fighters to heel. — Angela Charlton, The Seattle Times, "Syria: Everyone else’s battleground, in both war and peace," 25 Sep. 2018 What has attracted little comment is that these fields, seemingly disparate, have intersected: Cryo-EM has become one of the most important tools for pushing forward the research on the proteins responsible for the circadian clock. — Quanta Magazine, "The Overlooked Link Between Two of This Year’s Nobel Prizes," 27 Nov. 2017 For a more subdued take on red white and blue, try bringing the colors together in disparate parts of your look—a blue and white striped shirt accented with chunky white earrings and sunglasses blend effortlessly with a classic red lip. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "8 Pretty Ways to Wear Red, White, and Blue This Fourth of July," 21 June 2019 Vaccarello artfully fused all the seemingly disparate pieces into a season-less, gender-fluid and decidedly glam wardrobe. — Ingrid Schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, "Starry Crowd Gathers in Malibu for Saint Laurent's Mick Jagger-Inspired Men's Show," 7 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disparate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of disparate

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for disparate

borrowed from Latin disparātus "separate, distinct," from past participle of disparāre "to divide, separate off, make different," from dis- dis- + parāre "to supply, provide, make ready" (influenced in sense by association with dispar-, dispār "unequal, different") — more at pare

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More Definitions for disparate

disparate

adjective
How to pronounce disparate (audio) How to pronounce disparate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of disparate

formal : different from each other

See the full definition for disparate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

disparate

adjective
dis·​pa·​rate | \ dis-ˈpar-ət How to pronounce disparate (audio) , ˈdis-p(ə-)rət How to pronounce disparate (audio) \

Medical Definition of disparate

: indicating or stimulating dissimilar points on the retina of each eye

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