equal opportunity

American  

noun

1. the aggregation of policies and practices in employment and other areas that do not discriminate against people on the basis of race, skin color, age, sex, gender, national origin, religion, or mental or physical disability.

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equal opportunity British  

noun

1. 1. the offering of employment, pay, or promotion equally to all, without discrimination as to sex, race, colour, disability, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      our equal-opportunity policy

      an equal-opportunities employer

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equal opportunity Cultural  

1. The goal of giving all persons an equal chance to an education and employment, and to protect their civil rights, regardless of their race, religious beliefs, or gender. In the United States, various minority groups have been fighting for equal opportunity over the last 150 years. (See affirmative action, civil rights movement, equal protection of the laws, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Organization for Women, segregation, sexism, suffragist, and women's movement.)

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Other Word Forms

• equal-opportunity adjective

Example Sentences

Just as humans are all the same at birth, they’re alike in death, too, afforded an equal opportunity to find their ideal eternity.

From Salon

It was the first executive civil-rights directive since Reconstruction, and the first federal act to promote equal opportunity in the workplace and prohibit employment discrimination.

From The Wall Street Journal

The FA's own 'Reaching Higher: Women's & Girls' Game Strategy 2024-28' also pledges to "deliver equal opportunities" and "build robust, high-quality competition structures".

From BBC

He was an equal opportunities killer of anyone he saw as an enemy, including his own son-in-law.

From BBC

Public schools promise equal opportunity, not equal results, which depend on many outside factors.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• civil rights
• coordination
• fairness
• identity
• impartiality
• parity
• tolerance