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.
to reserve for a special purpose; put to one side
to discard, dismiss, or quash
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 .
First recorded in 1940–45; noun, adj. use of verb phrase set aside
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bronfman scrambled to identify funds — a proposed $1.7-billion set-aside — to offer Class B investors $16 a share.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 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
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
Charges of around 400 million euros were largely offset by settlements with suppliers, which saw the release of provisions of around 300 million euros set aside in the previous year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Bromley planning officers argued that the space set aside for the climbing facility was nearly three times the size of the current one.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Overexplained storytelling is set aside for something that’s striking and vivid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Financial experts typically say Americans should have enough to cover three to six months’ worth of basic living expenses set aside in a high-yield savings account in case of unexpected expenses or a job loss.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
“Ocean told me he didn’t need a scholarship. He said that you had money set aside for him, for college.”
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
