unequal

un·equal
U1N1E1Q10U1A1L1
/ʌnˈiːkwəl/

adjective

Not the same.

“unequal to the task”

Similar
disparateunevenanisometricunsymmetricalmismatchednonequivalentodds-oninadequate
Opposite
equal
OriginMiddle English unequale →
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

adjectiveunequal (comparative more unequal, superlative most unequal)

comparative more unequal · superlative most unequal · alternative obsolete unæqual · alternative obsolete unequall · alternative obsolete rare unæquall

  1. Not the same.
  2. Out of balance.
  3. comparableInadequate; insufficiently capable or qualified.

    unequal to the task

  4. Erratic, inconsistent.

    Her manner to Francesca was very unequal. Sometimes it had all the frankness of their early intimacy; at other times it was forbidding, and even petulant.

    1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter I, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 1
noununequal (plural unequals)

plural unequals · alternative obsolete unæqual · alternative obsolete unequall · alternative obsolete rare unæquall

  1. One who is not an equal.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
disparateuneven
Opposite
equal
Narrower
inferiorsuperior

adjectivepoorly balanced or matched in quantity or value or measure

Similar
anisometricunsymmetricalmismatchedunevennonequivalentodds-on
Opposite
equal

adjectivelacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

Similar
inadequatedeficientlackingwantingincapableincompetentunequal toshort-handedshort-staffedundermanned
Also see
anisometricdeficientinadequateincapableincompetentlackingmismatchednonequivalentodds-onshort-staffedunbalancedundermannedunderstaffedunequalizedunevenunsymmetricalwanting

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishunequale
  2. Englishunequal

From Middle English unequale, equivalent to un- + equal. Compare German unegal (“unlevel, uneven”).

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἄνισος
  • ἄνισος (ánisos)not the same
Bulgarian неравен, нееднакъв
  • неравен (neraven)not the same
  • нееднакъв (neednakăv)not the same
  • неуравновесен (neuravnovesen)out of balance
Catalan desigual
  • desigualnot the same
Chinese 不公平
  • 不公平 (bùgōngpíng)not the same
Czech nerovný
  • nerovnýnot the same
Dutch ongelijk
  • ongelijknot the same
Esperanto malegala, senekvilibra
  • malegalanot the same
  • senekvilibraout of balance
Finnish eri, erilainen
  • erinot the same
  • erilainennot the same
  • epätasapainoinenout of balance
German ungleich
  • ungleichnot the same
Irish míchothrom
  • míchothromout of balance
Italian diseguale, impari
  • disegualenot the same
  • impariout of balance
Latin inīquus, impar
  • inīquusnot the same
  • imparnot the same
Portuguese desigual
  • desigualnot the same
Romanian inegal
  • inegalnot the same
Spanish desigual
  • desigualnot the same
Tagalog ditumbas
  • ditumbasnot the same

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with unequal

equalsequelprequelsqueakquel
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

unequal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unequal

MLA

“unequal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unequal. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unequal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unequal.

Source: unequal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.