Definition of EQUITY (original) (raw)
1
a
: fairness or justice in the way people are treated
often, specifically : freedom from disparities in the way people of different races, genders, etc. are treated
… salaries in North America have long been considered a private matter between employer and employee. … But a growing number of advocates say that needs to change, in part to address problems of gender and racial equity, but also to keep talented employees in the workforce. —
Amanda Stephenson
The fact that more money is spent on white Americans than those who identify as Black, Asian or Hispanic shouldn't come as a shock given a growing body of research around health equity. —Katie Jennings
b
: something that is equitable
social equities and inequities
2
a
: the money value of a property or of an interest in a property in excess of claims or liens against it
b
: the common stock of a corporation
c
: a risk interest or ownership right in property
d
: a right, claim, or interest existing or valid in equity
3
a
: a system of law originating in the English chancery and comprising a settled and formal body of legal and procedural rules and doctrines that supplement, aid, or override common and statute law and are designed to protect rights and enforce duties fixed by substantive law
b
: trial or remedial justice under or by the rules and doctrines of equity
c
: a body of legal doctrines and rules developed to enlarge, supplement, or override a narrow rigid system of law
Did you know?
Equity usually appears in courts of law as a term related to justice or proportional fairness, or in financial offices to property or one's share of a company. The derivative root of the noun, which gained stability in the English language during the 1300s, is Latin aequus, meaning "even," "fair," or "equal"; however, to be fair, it was introduced to English by the French, whose adaptation of the Latin was equité. The French word has clear legal connotations; it means "justice" or "rightness," and those meanings, plus a splash of "fairness," carried over to the English word equity. Noah Webster, himself a lawyer, notes the legal term equity of redemption in his 1828 dictionary defining it as "the advantage, allowed to a mortgager, of a reasonable time to redeem lands mortgaged, when the estate is of greater value than the sum for which it was mortgaged." This use led to the modern financial meanings of equity: "the value of a piece of property after any debts that remain to be paid are subtracted" and "a share in a company or of a company's stock."
Synonyms
Examples of equity in a Sentence
In making these decisions we should be governed by the principle of equity. We've been slowly paying off our mortgage and building up equity in our house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At its core, the New York State Department of Health’s mission is to protect and promote health and well-being for all, building on a foundation of health equity to help all people achieve optimal physical, mental and social well-being. —Dr. James McDonald, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025 As for the private capital lending, long-term equity and financing services provided by his new patron, Thompson acknowledges that his knowledge remains limited. —Matt Craig, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025 From 2010 to 2021, private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners controlled a majority stake in Prospect Medical. —Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2025 Their efforts also dovetailed with the censorious culture driven by the woke catechism of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that shut down debate on college campuses, cultural forums, and even journalistic outlets. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for equity 
Word History
Etymology
Middle English equite, from Anglo-French equité, from Latin aequitat-, aequitas, from aequus equal, fair
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of equity was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near equity
Cite this Entry
“Equity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equity. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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Last Updated: 15 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences
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