Word of the Day: Egalitarian

Egalitarian (ĭ-găl’ĭ-târ’ē-ən) refers to systems or societies where people are treated equally and have the same political, civil, economic and social rights. The word comes from the French égalité, which means equality.

Japan is one of the most egalitarian of the world’s rich societies, yet it now has one of the largest shares of “working poor”—people who have jobs but can barely make ends meet. (The Economist)

It is egalitarian to put anyone who can float in a swimming gala, but it is not fair to those who can swim and want to compete. (Daily Mail)

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2 Responses to “Word of the Day: Egalitarian”

  1. Ivan on June 9, 2008 7:17 pm

    Could Egalitarian also be used to refer to the (somewhat Communist) idea of aggressive equality? For instance: No matter what job you do, you will still recieve the same salary as everyone else.

  2. Rod on July 31, 2009 12:43 pm

    aggressive equality? Egalitarian societies are an utopia.
    communism is not even close

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