set-aside

[ set-uh-sahyd ]

/ ˈsɛt əˌsaɪd /

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noun

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

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

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.

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.

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

adjective

pertaining to or constituting a set-aside: set-aside provisions of the new law.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of set-aside

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

Words nearby set-aside

set against, set an example, set apart, set a precedent, setaria, set-aside, set at, set at rest, setback, set back on one's heels, set back the clock

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use set-aside in a sentence

When cities started adding chlorine to their water supplies, in the early 1900s, it set off public outcry.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Submission is set in a France seven years from now that is dominated by a Muslim president intent on imposing Islamic law.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I wonder what that lady is doing now, and if she knows what she set in motion with Archer?
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Empire will be hate-watched and may set off some conversations on its way from fading from our minds.
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
You would not think it too much to set the whole province in flames so that you could have your way with this wretched child.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
I take the Extream Bells, and set down the six Changes on them thus.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman
Then the door opened, the portiere was swept aside, and Anselme announced "Monsieur de Garnache."
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
She set off down Trafalgar Road in the mist and the rain, glad that she had been compelled to walk.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
Finally, let me ask the general reader to put aside all prejudice, and give both sides a fair hearing.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford

British Dictionary definitions for set-aside

set aside

verb (tr, adverb)

to reserve for a special purpose; put to one side

to discard, dismiss, or quash

noun set-aside

(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
(as modifier)set-aside land

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with set-aside

set aside

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

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

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