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Definitions

affirmative action

[uh-fur-muh-tiv ak-shuhn] / əˈfɜr mə tɪv ˈæk ʃən /

NOUN

anti-discrimination program

Synonyms

WEAK

anti-discrimination equal opportunity equal rights policy even break fair hiring fair hiring practices fair shake fair treatment limited choice nondiscrimination positive discrimination quota system reverse discrimination

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“He needed to focus his energy on the civil rights initiative, and affirmative action was a much bigger deal,” said Haru.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

While diversity programs have gone by a variety of names over the decades — nondiscrimination, affirmative action, DEI — they all trace their roots to the Civil Rights Movement, which lasted from 1954 to 1968.

From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026

Sociologist and demographer Sonalde Desai told me that without a fresh caste census, India's affirmative action policies operate "blindly", relying on outdated colonial data.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2025

President Trump has issued at least three executive orders aimed at stopping racial discrimination, including affirmative action and disparate-impact analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

During the past twenty years, virtually every progressive, national civil rights organization in the country has mobilized and rallied in defense of affirmative action.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander