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affirmative action
—Related forms
–noun
| the encouragement of increased representation of women and minority-group members, esp. in employment. |
[Origin: 1960–65
]
] —Related forms
af·firm·a·tive-ac·tion, adjective
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
Affirmative action
To learn more about Affirmative action visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| affirmative action
n. A policy or a program that seeks to redress past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity, as in education and employment. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
| affirmative action | |
noun | |
| a policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities; "affirmative action has been extremely controversial and was challenged in 1978 in the Bakke decision" |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
affirmative ˌaction noun
(American) the practice of giving better opportunities (jobs, education etc) to people who, it is thought, are treated unfairly (minorities, women etc)
See also: affirmative, affirm
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
affirmative action
A term referring to various government policies that aim to increase the proportion of African-Americans, women, and other minorities in jobs and educational institutions historically dominated by white men. The policies usually require employers and institutions to set goals for hiring or admitting minorities.
Note: Affirmative action has been extremely controversial. Supporters maintain that it is the only way to overcome the effects of past discrimination and promote integration. Critics dismiss it as “reverse discrimination,” denying opportunities to qualified whites and men. (See Bakke decision).
[Chapter:] American Politics
| The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
Main Entry: affirmative action
Function: noun
: an active effort (as through legislation) to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minoritygroups or women
| Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc. |
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