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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

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Desai told me that without a fresh caste census, India's affirmative action policies operate "blindly", relying on outdated colonial data.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

The predictable response is that civil rights advocates are as committed to challenging mass incarceration and other forms of structural racism as they are to preserving affirmative action.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander