ojämlik

Ojämlik is a Swedish adjective meaning not equal, unequal, or unbalanced in size, amount, status, or treatment. It describes a state or relationship where two or more entities do not share a common standard of equality. The prefix o- negates jämlik, which means equal. The related noun is ojämlikhet, referring to the condition of inequality, and the adverbial form is ojämlikt.

In usage, ojämlik is common in everyday language to describe imbalances in resources, opportunities, or treatment, for example, en ojämlik fördelning av resurser mellan regioner or ojämlik behandling av arbetstagare. It is also widely used in social sciences, politics, and economics to characterize economic or social inequality, such as ekonomisk ojämlikhet or sociala ojämlikheter.

In mathematics, the concept of inequality is more often labeled with the term olikhet rather than ojämlik, though the adjective can appear in descriptive prose to indicate non-equality between quantities. The term also appears in discussions of fairness and rights, where legal and ethical contexts speak of ojämlik behandling eller ojämlikhet i möjligheter.

Related terms include jämlik (equal) and olik (different or unequal), as well as broader discussions of ojämlikhet in society.