Podcasts · Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

disparate

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Episode disparate

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 26, 2026 is:

disparate • \DISS-puh-rut\ • adjective

Disparate things are noticeably distinct from one another in quality or character. Disparate can also describe something that contains or is made up of fundamentally different and often incongruous elements.

// The orchestral project joins disparate musical elements to create a truly original sound.

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Examples:

"Some of the spacious galleries feature a single artist ... one is devoted to murals, another to architecture, but many are organized by themes rather than genre, period, place or, and this is important, prestige. Thematic grouping of disparate work has become a popular, though not uncontroversial, trend." — Mary McNamara, The Los Angeles Times, 3 Sept. 2026

Did you know?

If you enjoy sorting different objects into separate categories, you're well prepared to understand the origins of disparate. The word, which first appeared in English in the 16th century, comes from the Latin verb disparāre, meaning "to divide, separate off, make different." Disparāre, in turn, comes from parāre, a verb meaning "to supply, provide, make ready or prepare." Other descendants of parāre in English include both separate and prepare, as well as repair, apparatus, and even the pugnacious vituperate ("to criticize harshly and usually publicly").

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