tokenism

[ toh-kuh-niz-uhm ]

/ ˈtoʊ kəˌnɪz əm /

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See synonyms for tokenism on Thesaurus.com

noun

the practice or policy of making no more than a token effort or gesture, as in offering opportunities to minorities equal to those of the majority.

any legislation, admissions policy, hiring practice, etc., that demonstrates only minimal compliance with rules, laws, or public pressure: Admitting one woman to the men's club was merely tokenism.

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

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Origin of tokenism

First recorded in 1960–65; token + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM tokenism

to·ken·is·tic, adjective

Words nearby tokenism

toke, Tokelau, Tokelau Islands, token, token economy, tokenism, tokenize, token money, token payment, token strike, token vote

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

How to use tokenism in a sentence

I understand that a number have gone to Dubai or wherever, so they’re just moving, and you could argue it’s tokenism.
'Like Shooting a Moving Target.' This Company Is Trying to Withdraw from Russia. It's Getting Complicated|Belinda Luscombe|June 1, 2022|Time
College teams often engage in tokenism by bringing on a single female player, and the vast majority of scholarships go to male players.
Microsoft Purchase Of Activision Blizzard Won’t Clean Up Gamer Culture Overnight: 5 Essential Reads About Sexual Harassment And Discrimination In Gaming And Tech|LGBTQ-Editor|January 22, 2022|No Straight News
Together, slowly but surely, we are moving beyond tokenism, and transforming how organizations prioritize and realize diversity, equity and inclusion at every level.
If Employers Are Serious About Meaningful Change, They Must Reorient Jobs to Center Around Workers|Darren Walker|August 12, 2021|Time
If everyone’s involved, then there isn’t any sort of tokenism.
‘I am not the head of diversity’: Looking back at ’20 and into ’21, R/GA’s Jai Tedeschi discusses operationalizing DE&I initiatives|Kimeko McCoy|May 25, 2021|Digiday

It goes back to tokenism and putting people of color in an awkward position by focusing the topic at hand on them rather than on the government.
Chicago’s mayor limits interviews to reporters of color. Now they’re caught in the middle.|Kim Bellware|May 21, 2021|Washington Post
They must have dismissed India as a soft state whose breast-beating is easily calmed by tokenism.
Mumbai's Dangerous Amnesia|M.J. Akbar|November 25, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Conservatives may abhor affirmative action, but they adore tokenism.
An Affirmative Action Pick|Dana Goldstein|May 26, 2009|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for tokenism

tokenism

/ (ˈtəʊkəˌnɪzəm) /

noun

the practice of making only a token effort or doing no more than the minimum, esp in order to comply with a law

Derived forms of tokenism

tokenistic, adjective

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

tokenism

Origin of tokenism

OTHER WORDS FROM tokenism

Words nearby tokenism

Words related to tokenism

How to use tokenism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tokenism

Derived forms of tokenism