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
Michael L. LevineUnlike 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.
Shirley J. Yee et al.Examples of affirmative action in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But now, federal funding for the campuses is threatened by a lawsuit brought by the state of Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions, the same group that successfully sued Harvard to end affirmative action in admissions.
—Michael Burke, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
This executive order is seen as the precursor to later affirmative action policies.
—Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
The South African government says its long-standing affirmative action laws are a cornerstone of its efforts to right the injustices of the white minority rule of apartheid, which denied opportunities to Blacks and other racial groups.
—Gerald Imray, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
Last week, the Justice Department notified Harvard, which receives billions in government grants, of an investigation into whether its admissions process had been used to defraud the government by failing to comply with a Supreme Court ruling that effectively ended affirmative action.
—Glenn Thrush, New York Times, 20 May 2025
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Michael Burke, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
This executive order is seen as the precursor to later affirmative action policies.
—Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
The South African government says its long-standing affirmative action laws are a cornerstone of its efforts to right the injustices of the white minority rule of apartheid, which denied opportunities to Blacks and other racial groups.
—Gerald Imray, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
Last week, the Justice Department notified Harvard, which receives billions in government grants, of an investigation into whether its admissions process had been used to defraud the government by failing to comply with a Supreme Court ruling that effectively ended affirmative action.
—Glenn Thrush, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for affirmative action
Cite this Entry
“Affirmative action.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affirmative%20action. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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