tokenism
noun
to·ken·ism
ˈtō-kə-ˌni-zəm 
: the policy or practice of making only a symbolic effort (as to desegregate)
Examples of tokenism in a Sentence
Did the company choose her for her merits, or merely as an act of tokenism?
Recent Examples on the Web
The zero-sum game mentality that stokes the fear of irrelevance in the dominant group and alienates people with diverse backgrounds through tokenism has created a polarization in DEI work.
—
Julie Kratz, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
As D-Day, and an end, approaches, the legendary all-Black Tuskegee Airmen are finally introduced, which feels a little like tokenism considering how prominently the Black actors are featured in promotional materials.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
Research also indicates that factors like tokenism, biases, microaggressions and a lack of belonging undermine performance and innovation.
—Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
One theory is the widespread perception of tokenism — the belief that women have a real shot only at leadership roles that were vacated by other women.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2024
The fetishization of black outlawry is the new tokenism.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Sep. 2023
But even in the past 15 years, an era with an unprecedented number of L.G.B.T.Q. characters and out artists, tokenism is still an accepted norm — a gay kiss in a Marvel movie or in a cartoon, 12 seconds (literally) taken to show that Sulu is gay in a Star Trek film.
—Mark Harris, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2023
But the show is clever in its sendup of those homogenous environments and never feels like an outsider’s guide to tokenism.
—Bethonie Butler, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023
What entertainment company harnesses the power of black women creators without using tokenism? Halliday: Hmm.
—Adrienne Gibbs, Forbes, 18 May 2022
Julie Kratz, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
As D-Day, and an end, approaches, the legendary all-Black Tuskegee Airmen are finally introduced, which feels a little like tokenism considering how prominently the Black actors are featured in promotional materials.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
Research also indicates that factors like tokenism, biases, microaggressions and a lack of belonging undermine performance and innovation.
—Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
One theory is the widespread perception of tokenism — the belief that women have a real shot only at leadership roles that were vacated by other women.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2024
The fetishization of black outlawry is the new tokenism.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Sep. 2023
But even in the past 15 years, an era with an unprecedented number of L.G.B.T.Q. characters and out artists, tokenism is still an accepted norm — a gay kiss in a Marvel movie or in a cartoon, 12 seconds (literally) taken to show that Sulu is gay in a Star Trek film.
—Mark Harris, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2023
But the show is clever in its sendup of those homogenous environments and never feels like an outsider’s guide to tokenism.
—Bethonie Butler, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023
What entertainment company harnesses the power of black women creators without using tokenism? Halliday: Hmm.
—Adrienne Gibbs, Forbes, 18 May 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tokenism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tokenism
Cite this Entry
“Tokenism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tokenism. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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