mainstreaming

[meyn-stree-ming]

noun

integration of children with special educational problems, as a physical handicap, into conventional classes and school activities.

Origin of mainstreaming

First recorded in 1975–80; mainstream + -ing¹

mainstream

[meyn-streem]

noun

the principal or dominant course, tendency, or trend: the mainstream of American culture.
a river having tributaries.
regular school classes or regular schools: keeping autistic students in the mainstream.

adjective

belonging to or characteristic of a principal, dominant, or widely accepted group, movement, style, etc.: mainstream Republicans; a mainstream artist; mainstream media.
of, relating to, or characteristic of jazz falling historically between Dixieland and modern jazz; specifically, swing music.Compare traditional(def 4).

verb (used with object)

to send into the mainstream; cause to join the main force, group, etc.: to mainstream young people into the labor force.
to place (students with disabilities) in regular school classes.

verb (used without object)

to join or be placed in the mainstream.

Origin of mainstream

First recorded in 1660–70; main¹ + stream

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for mainstreaming

Contemporary Examples of mainstreaming

Still, the criticisms have stung, particularly in the age of post-Mitt Romney Mormon mainstreaming.
The Core Mormon Teaching the LDS Church Didn’t Jettison
Jay Michaelson
April 7, 2014
Since launching in 2009, the company has expanded to 34 countries, mainstreaming on-demand private transportation.
Uber’s Biggest Problem Isn’t Surge Pricing. What If It’s Sexual Harassment by Drivers?
Olivia Nuzzi
March 28, 2014
There was the grunge trend, of course, and the mainstreaming of hip-hop gear.
Finally! ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ Is Hollywood’s First 1990s Period Piece
Andrew Romano
December 23, 2013
And they are also an unparalleled statement of the mainstreaming of Palestinians and Palestine in the United States.
Palestine's Washington Showcase
Hussein Ibish
October 1, 2013
Muslim Americans made significant progress in mainstreaming themselves and their image with their compatriots.
Boston Marathon Attacks Will Now Define Terrorism For Americans
Hussein Ibish
April 16, 2013

Historical Examples of mainstreaming

I am proud that the United States leads the world in mainstreaming and treating disabled people.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006
Various

British Dictionary definitions for mainstreaming

mainstream

noun

1. the main current (of a river, cultural trend, etc)in the mainstream of modern literature
2. (as modifier)mainstream politics

adjective

of or relating to the style of jazz that lies between the traditional and the modern

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mainstreaming

mainstream

also main-stream, main stream, "principal current of a river," 1660s, from main (adj.) + stream (n.); hence, "prevailing direction in opinion, popular taste, etc.," a figurative use first attested in Carlyle (1831). Mainstream media attested by 1980 in language of U.S. leftists critical of coverage of national affairs.

mainstreaming in Medicine

mainstreaming

[mān′strē′mĭng]

The process of integrating physically or intellectually disadvantaged students into regular school classes.

Related formsmain′stream′ v.

mainstreaming in Culture

mainstream

The prevailing current or direction of a movement or influence: “The candidate's speech represented the mainstream thinking on economic policy.”