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

Duke also saw a notable decline in the number of Asian first-year students this year — a trend it is being questioned about by the group that successfully sued Harvard to end affirmative action in university admissions, the Times reported. —Katie Peralta Soloff, Axios, 18 Sep. 2024

The group that successfully challenged affirmative action in college admissions at the Supreme Court last year is now targeting the United States Naval Academy in a new legal battle set to commence in a Baltimore, Maryland, trial Monday. —Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Sep. 2024

College diversity seesaws across the country Ending affirmative action has had an uneven impact on admissions to some of the most highly selective and competitive universities in the country. —Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024

At the same time, programs that bolster diversity, equity, and inclusion in medical schools are faltering in the wake of the 2023 Supreme Court decision outlawing affirmative action in higher education. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

affirmative action

noun

: the use of laws, policies, and programs giving limited preference to qualified minority groups and women to improve educational and employment opportunities as a remedy to the effects of long-standing discrimination

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