Inequality means a situation where things aren't equal or fair, where some people or groups have more advantages, opportunities, or resources than others.

In math class, you learn about inequality symbols like > and <, which show when numbers aren't equal. But in everyday life, inequality usually describes unfair differences between people. When there's income inequality in a country, some families have far more money than others. When there's inequality in a classroom, some students might get more attention or better learning materials than their classmates.

Inequality can show up in many ways. If a school's sports teams get plenty of equipment and funding while the art program gets almost nothing, that's inequality. If some neighborhoods have beautiful parks and libraries while others have none, that's inequality too.

The opposite of inequality is equality, where everyone has the same access to opportunities. Spotting inequality helps us think about fairness: Is everyone getting what they need to succeed? Are the rules being applied the same way to everyone? Throughout history, people have worked to reduce inequality by changing unfair laws, creating better opportunities, and making sure resources get distributed more fairly. Recognizing inequality is often the first step toward fixing it.