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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

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

The tuition policy will result in $16 million in additional financial aid — $4 million of it from the larger set-aside this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2022

The new package includes another roughly $71 million for education relief, “which includes a new set-aside to provide public health and related services to private K-12 schools,” Faulk wrote in an email.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 26, 2020

However, the club have had a six-point deduction, which was suspended until 30 June 2027, "set aside" on appeal.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

This disputed imbalance could lead to a legal battle, and Arizona has already set aside several million dollars for potential lawsuits.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Gen. Rob Bonta and his coalition of 11 other states to prepare to set aside as much as $1.9 billion as the Warner Bros.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Procura will prepay certain suppliers on GM’s behalf, giving them the capital required to make and store inventory set aside for the Detroit automaker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Mama kneels next to me and picks up the item I've just set aside, a birthday card from when I turned sixteen.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

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