- not equal in quantity, size, rank, value, etc
- (followed by to) inadequate; insufficient
- not evenly balanced
- (of character, quality, etc) irregular; varying; inconsistent
- (of a contest, etc) having competitors of different ability
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•e•qual /ʌnˈikwəl/USA pronunciation
adj.
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- not equal;
not of the same measurement, quantity, or status:unequal portions;unequal pay;unequal rank. - not adequate or enough, such as in amount, power, or ability:[be + ~ + to + object]He's unequal to the task.
n.
- unequals, [plural] persons or things not equal to each other.
un•e•qual
(un ē′kwəl),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
un•e′qual•ly, adv.
un•e′qual•ness, n.
- not equal;
not of the same quantity, quality, value, rank, ability, etc.:People are unequal in their capacities. - not adequate, as in amount, power, ability, etc. (usually fol. by to):strength unequal to the task.
- not evenly proportioned or balanced;
not having the parts alike or symmetrical:an unequal leaf. - uneven or variable in character, quality, etc.
- [Obs.]inequitable;
unfair;
unjust.
n.
- unequals, persons or things not equal to each other:a contest between obvious unequals.
- un-1 + equal 1525–35
un•e′qual•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
unequal /ʌnˈiːkwəl/ adj
'unequal' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
bushing
- disparate
- disproportion
- disproportionate
- ferrimagnetism
- inequality
- Maryland
- monoclinic
- orthorhombic
- rhomboid
- scalene
- steelyard
- thermal
- trapezium
- trapezoid
- triclinic
- unlike
- acrocentric
- anamorphic
- aniseikonia
- aniso-
- anisodactylous
- anisometric
- anisotropic
- arbitrage
- Archimedean
- Atwood's machine
- beat
- Becquerel effect
- commemoration
- curl
- helotism
- heterolecithal
- homolographic projection
- impar
- inequilateral
- inequivalve
- intermediate-value theorem
- isodiametric
- jump discontinuity
- lopsided
- macromere
- medley relay
- méridienne
- meroblastic
- micromere
- mixoploid
- Müller-Lyer illusion
- oblique
- one-sided