reverse discrimination

noun

: discrimination against whites or males (as in employment or education)

Examples of reverse discrimination in a Sentence

He claimed that reverse discrimination was to blame for his unemployment.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Right-wing perspectives presented in search results argue that South African land reform and affirmative action policies constitute persecution of the white minority, framing these policies as forms of reverse discrimination that threaten economic security. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2026 The case could allow states to eliminate majority-minority congressional districts, which some conservatives have argued is another instance of reverse discrimination against white Americans. David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2026 For some Bolivians, their policies and rhetoric felt like reverse discrimination, such as holding some public service positions for Indigenous applicants or requiring officials to speak an official language in addition to Spanish. Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Oct. 2025 In effect, Louisiana is asking the justices to forget the long, contested struggle of Black Americans for the franchise and to construct a national memory in which Black Americans seeking representation becomes a form of reverse discrimination. Time, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reverse discrimination

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reverse discrimination was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“Reverse discrimination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse%20discrimination. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.

Legal Definition

reverse discrimination

noun
: discrimination against whites or males (as in employment or education)

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