equal opportunity

American  

noun

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

• equal-opportunity adjective

Example Sentences

This often comes up as an issue when it comes to selling advertising time—they can’t just sell advertising time to one side without offering an equal opportunity to the other.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

"Every player should have the right to fair and equal opportunity," said Tom Moffat, chief executive of the World Cricketers' Association - the global players' union.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

It was the first executive civil-rights directive since Reconstruction, and the first federal act to promote equal opportunity in the workplace and prohibit employment discrimination.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

“It’s what it’s always been: We want housing and healthcare and we want equal opportunity and we want to be seen as contributing members of society,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 21, 2025

The act, in effect, abolished poll taxes, literacy tests and other barriers to equal opportunity at the ballot box.

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

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