equity
equity
noun
/ˈekwəti/
1 ​uncountable (finance) the value of a company’s shares
He plans to raise the company’s return on equity to 15%.
SEE ALSO private equity
2 ​uncountable the value of a property after all charges and debts have been paid
The couple have no savings except for the equity in their house.
SEE ALSO negative equity
TOPICS Money C2
3 ​equities plural (finance) shares in a company that do not pay a fixed amount of interest
TOPICS Money C2
4 ​uncountable (formal) a situation in which everyone is treated equally
SYNONYM fairness
a society where justice and equity prevail
OPPOSITE inequity
SEE ALSO employment equity
​5 uncountable (law, especially British English) a system of natural justice allowing a fair judgement in a situation which is not covered by the existing laws
The rules of common law and equity are both, in essence, systems of private law.
TOPICS Law and justice C2
Word Origin
Middle English: from Old French equité, from Latin aequitas, from aequus ‘equal’.