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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.

Karan Mahajan was 6 years old when he saw a family friend lay down in front of a bus during a protest against India’s Mandal Commission affirmative action movement.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

President and Fellows of Harvard College, which struck down race-based affirmative action in college admissions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 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Desai told me that without a fresh caste census, India's affirmative action policies operate "blindly", relying on outdated colonial data.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

For decades, civil rights leaders have been saying things like “we all want a colorblind society, we just disagree how to get there” in defense of race-conscious programs like affirmative action or racial data collection.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander