desigualdad
nounCEFR B2
What does “desigualdad” mean in English?
inequality, disparity
inequality, disparity (unequal distribution of resources, rights, or opportunities between groups)
Example sentences
La desigualdad salarial entre hombres y mujeres sigue siendo uno de los grandes pendientes de las democracias europeas.
The pay gap between men and women remains one of the great unresolved challenges of European democracies.
Combatir la desigualdad no es solo una cuestión de justicia: es también una condición para el crecimiento sostenido.
Tackling inequality is not just a matter of justice: it is also a condition for sustained growth.
Los datos del último informe confirman que la desigualdad entre países ricos y pobres se ha agudizado desde la pandemia.
The latest report's data confirm that inequality between rich and poor countries has sharpened since the pandemic.
How to use it
La desigualdad (noun, feminine) means 'inequality' — the unequal distribution of resources, rights, or opportunities between people or groups. It is a core term in journalism, political discourse, and social science writing at B2+. Highly collocable: desigualdad económica/social/de género; la brecha de desigualdad; reducir/combatir/agudizar la desigualdad. The distinction from inequidad is subtle: inequidad stresses unfairness (a normative judgement), while desigualdad describes the empirical gap. Both are useful at B2.
Common mistake
Desigualdad is not 'injustice' (injusticia) — it describes a measurable gap, not a moral verdict. 'Inequality is unfair' = 'La desigualdad es injusta' (two separate words needed). Also: el desigual (the adjective) and la desigualdad are the forms to use; avoid *inequalidad which does not exist in Spanish.