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• set-aside
  set-aside

  noun

  something, as land or profits, set aside for a particular purpose.
• set aside
  set aside

  verb

  to reserve for a special purpose; put to one side

set-aside

American  

[set-uh-sahyd] / ˈsɛt əˌsaɪd /

noun

1. something, as land or profits, set aside for a particular purpose.

2. a tract of federal lands set aside as a wildlife refuge, oil exploration site, etc.

3. a tract of farmland on which commercial crops or a specific crop will not be grown, as part of a federal plan to decrease production in order to maintain or increase prices.

4. a specified amount or percentage of an industry's production set aside, especially for government use.

   Ten percent of gasoline production is a set-aside for emergency use by the state.

5. a government contract awarded, as to a minority-owned business, without competitive bidding.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or constituting a set-aside.

   set-aside provisions of the new law.

set aside British  

verb

1. to reserve for a special purpose; put to one side

2. to discard, dismiss, or quash

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noun

1. 1. (in the European Union) a scheme in which a proportion of farmland is taken out of production in order to reduce surpluses or maintain or increase prices of a specific crop

   2. ( as modifier )

      set-aside land

set aside Idioms  

1. Separate and reserve for a special purpose, as in We have to set aside some chairs for latecomers . [Early 1700s] Also see set by .

2. Discard or reject, as in Setting aside all health considerations, do you believe this law is fair to smokers? [Early 1400s]

3. Declare invalid, annul, or overrule, as in The higher court set aside the conviction . [Mid-1700s] Also see lay aside .

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Etymology

Origin of set-aside

First recorded in 1940–45; noun, adj. use of verb phrase set aside

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

set-aside set aside

He insisted he was all in favour of tackling climate change, but that the set-aside rule made no practical sense.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2024

The new outreach enables certified veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses to compete for set-aside government contracts.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 18, 2023

A state website last updated in September showed Washington districts have yet to claim about 55% of these set-aside dollars for academic recovery.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 24, 2022

California’s legislative analyst estimates the set-aside would generate up to $1 billion that would be prioritized for districts that serve low-income families with the greatest number of Black and Latino students.

From New York Times ● Sep. 26, 2022

“It’s incredibly complicated. You have to carve out a weird set-aside to do this kind of thing with a distributor,” Eggers said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2021

Overexplained storytelling is set aside for something that’s striking and vivid.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Back to her next steps: Before investing the inheritance — preferably, conservative investments given her age — she should make sure she has enough set aside in an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

The document sets out in detail the grounds on which he will attempt to have all 18 guilty verdicts set aside.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Reduction in provisioning was supported by reversal of management overlay that the company set aside to prepare for potential damage from Thailand’s southern flood disaster, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

We need to set aside enough money for taxes!!!!

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• abolish
• abrogate
• annul
• deny
• dismantle
• dismiss
• invalidate
• lift
• nullify
• quash
• remove
• renounce
• repeal
• rescind
• retract
• reverse
• vacate
• void
• withdraw