Synonyms

reverse discrimination

American

noun

the unfair treatment of members of majority groups resulting from preferential policies, as in college admissions or employment, intended to remedy earlier discrimination against minorities.

Etymology

Origin of reverse discrimination

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, pushed back against Trump’s claims of reverse discrimination.

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2026

The reason has nothing to do with reverse discrimination.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2020

Theirs is not an abstract debate: comfortably hazy concepts like ''liberty'' and ''equality'' must be applied to urgent social and moral dilemmas�abortion, the death penalty, obscenity, busing, reverse discrimination.

From Time Magazine Archive

Activist in some areas untouched by the Warren Court, like sex discrimination, it has continued to press for school desegregation, tried to strike a balance on reverse discrimination and retrenched slightly on criminal rights.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023