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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

Yet even if the increase in shelter costs last month are set aside, inflation has proven to be quite sticky.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Ramaphosa said he will now ask the courts to review and set aside the report, which he argues relied on hearsay evidence.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

Because when you strip away the scaffolding, when you set aside the tone and the length and the performance of rigor, what remains is not complicated at all.

From Slate • May 8, 2026

"It is declared that the vote of the National Assembly taken on 13 December 2022... is inconsistent with the Constitution, invalid, and it is set aside," the Constitutional Court's Chief Justice Mandisa Maya said.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

He did not, but Aunt Rose hobbled out of the house to sit in the creaky old rocking chair set aside for her.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

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