Which statement best describes an inequality?

An inequality is fundamentally a mathematical statement that compares two expressions using relational operators such as greater than, less than, greater than or equal to, and less than or equal to. This definition captures the essence of what an inequality represents, as it provides a way to express relationships between quantities where one may be larger or smaller than the other, rather than simply being equal.

For instance, the inequality ( x < 5 ) indicates that variable ( x ) is less than 5, demonstrating a relationship that isn't confined to being equal. In contrast to the other choices, which either focus on equality or do not emphasize the comparative nature of inequalities, this choice directly aligns with the concept of inequalities as expressions that establish a relationship of comparison.