Make Your Editor Cry: Dichotomy, Discrepancy, Disparity

Make Your Editor Cry: Dichotomy, Discrepancy, Disparity

There is a “dichotomy” between two different or entirely opposite things. There is a “discrepancy” between two things that should be identical—but are not. A “disparity” means a significant difference for something quantifiable, that is something you can measure like salary, age, or access to a resource.

Examples:

There’s a dichotomy between your recruiting and retention goals.
I noticed a discrepancy between the numbers you forwarded me versus the ones you told me on the phone.
I am troubled by the pricing disparity for your North American customers compared to your European customers.