affirmative action

noun

: the use of policies, legislation, programs, and procedures to improve the educational or employment opportunities of members of certain demographic groups (such as minority groups, women, and older people) as a remedy to the effects of long-standing discrimination against such groups

Note: Affirmative action gives limited preference to qualified groups (which may include racial and ethnic minorities, women, older people, people with disabilities, and some veterans) in job hiring, admission to institutions of higher education, the awarding of government contracts, and other social benefits.

The term affirmative action was … used in an executive order issued by President Johnson in 1965, which banned all federal contractors and subcontractors, as well as unions involved in federal work, from practicing employment discrimination.Michael L. Levine
Unlike previous measures, such as the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, which prohibited discrimination, the goal of affirmative action was to adopt a proactive approach to redressing past discrimination. It goes beyond the prohibition of overtly racist practices by requiring employers, public contractors, and college admissions officers to cast a wider net in their searches for qualified workers and students through active recruitment of racial minorities.Shirley J. Yee et al.

Examples of affirmative action in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Blum didn’t wait 25 years to challenge affirmative action. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Related: With affirmative action off the table, medical schools plan new diversity tactics Relief from student loan debt for medical students should be celebrated. Tricia Pendergrast, STAT, 7 Mar. 2024 And last year's Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions set off a wave of legal threats against corporate diversity policies and programs from folks like former Trump administration official Stephen Miller and anti-affirmative action activist Edward Bloom. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 There has been a contraction in support for DEI initiatives from some after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action in higher education. La June Montgomery Tabron, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 The Supreme Court’s end on affirmative action took center stage and conjured up the most confusion and uncertainty among colleges and students alike. Arush Chandna, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The resistance is inspired in part by last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling barring affirmative action in higher education. Ronnie Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Related article Supreme Court guts affirmative action in college admissions Other schools – including the rest of the Ivy League, along with the California State University System and the University of Michigan – have stuck with the decision to do away with the testing requirement. Brammhi Balarajan, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024 But a question loomed: Would this be legal given the Supreme Court’s decisions, including its ruling last year outlawing affirmative action for higher education? Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'affirmative action.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of affirmative action was in 1961

Dictionary Entries Near affirmative action

Cite this Entry

“Affirmative action.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affirmative%20action. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

affirmative action

noun
: an active effort to improve the educational and employment opportunities of members of minority groups and women

Legal Definition

affirmative action

noun
: an active effort (as through legislation) to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups or women

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