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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

It includes the unique Stehekin Valley — inaccessible by road and, thanks to Congress’ set-aside, a rare lowland valley with an unsullied wild river and more trout, bear and deer than buildings.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2024

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

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

The second-largest portion of these funds — $1.25 billion — would be set aside for housing for veterans, in the form of homeownership loans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

“Ethiopia and Eritrea both pledged to set aside their differences and work together to strengthen regional peace and stability,” U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

The committee set aside $21.5 million for “hybrid composite structures research for enhanced mobility,” “electric propulsion for military craft and advanced planing hulls” and a “test bed for autonomous ship systems.”

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

You can either self-insure and set aside enough money for a prolonged period of care, buy traditional long-term-care insurance, or decide upon some kind of combination.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Frodo and Sam were led apart and brought to a tent, and there their old raiment was taken off, but folded and set aside with honour; and clean linen was given to them.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

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