tokenism

American  

[toh-kuh-niz-uhm] / ˈtoʊ kəˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. 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.

2. 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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tokenism British  

/ ˈtəʊkəˌnɪzəm /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• tokenistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of tokenism

First recorded in 1960–65; token + -ism

Example Sentences

In the run-up to this year's nominations, after it was confirmed Future Class would not return, alumni accused the scheme of tokenism and not doing enough to help them build contacts.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

Some opponents, however, argue the move would hand excessive powers to the Indigenous body, while others have described it as tokenism and toothless.

From Reuters • Aug. 9, 2023

These days, things are far from equitable, but in most of the culture, female representation has grown well past the Smurfette-style tokenism.

From Salon • Jul. 18, 2023

Following a photo shoot that felt more like a family portrait session, Chavarria and Apollo spoke at length about faith, tokenism and how to balance swagger with vulnerability.

From New York Times • May 8, 2023

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” star Michelle Yeoh discusses tokenism, aging, her dangerous early-career stunts and why she prays every night for an Oscar.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2023