equal opportunity

American  

noun

• equal opportunities
  plural

1. the aggregation of policies and practices in employment and other areas that do not discriminate against people on the basis of race, skin color, age, sex, gender, national origin, religion, or mental or physical disability.

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equal opportunity British  

noun

1. 1. the offering of employment, pay, or promotion equally to all, without discrimination as to sex, race, colour, disability, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      our equal-opportunity policy

      an equal-opportunities employer

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equal opportunity Cultural  

1. The goal of giving all persons an equal chance to an education and employment, and to protect their civil rights, regardless of their race, religious beliefs, or gender. In the United States, various minority groups have been fighting for equal opportunity over the last 150 years. (See affirmative action, civil rights movement, equal protection of the laws, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Organization for Women, segregation, sexism, suffragist, and women's movement.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• equal-opportunity
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• equal opportunities
  plural

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

equal opportunity

Benaissa said the mass crossing by such people was a "deeper sign of a crisis of confidence in the future" and in "the ability of institutions to guarantee adequate social protection and equal opportunity".

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

In fact, Congress enacted Title IX, the statute requiring equal opportunity for women athletes, because it was concerned about sex discrimination, not physical differences between men and women.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

The need for separate athletic teams to fulfill Title IX’s mandate for equal opportunity was already well-established.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

They alleged she violated her duty and responsibility as a faculty member by directing and encouraging students to violate university policies that regulate free speech on campus and promote diversity and equal opportunity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

As much as I believed that Negro people should have an equal opportunity to participate in American society, there were realities to deal with.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

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Related Words

• civil rights
• coordination
• fairness
• identity
• impartiality
• parity
• tolerance

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