diversity, equity and inclusion

noun

variants or less commonly diversity, equity, and inclusion

1

: a set of values and related policies and practices focused on establishing a group culture of equitable and inclusive treatment and on attracting and retaining a diverse group of participants, including people who have historically been excluded or discriminated against

Through our continued focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, we are increasing the number of female attorneys, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community in the leadership pipeline.

—Phillip G. Hampton, II, quoted in The Madison-St. Clair (Illinois) Record

… we strongly believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion and take many steps toward promoting this through mentoring, internship programs and ensuring equity in pay and opportunity …

—Jonathan Garcia, quoted in The San Antonio (Texas) Business Journal

This means we practice diversity, equity and inclusion in all we do. It includes investing in our people and creating a culture of care.

—Lisa Toppin

—often used before another noun

Virtually every university, government agency and major corporation has embraced some type of diversity, equity and inclusion policies … to ostensibly promote a more open, equitable and, well, inclusive workplace.

—Orange County (California) Register

The legal battle comes amid a string of attacks against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in corporate America, schools and higher education in recent months.

—Niquel Terry Ellis

—abbreviation DEI

2

: the state of having a diverse group of participants as well as policies and norms that are equitable and inclusive

Whether within a company or in the community, achieving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a journey and a job that is far from done.

—David M. Velazquez and Laron Evans

—abbreviation DEI

Examples of diversity, equity and inclusion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For the eighth consecutive week, foot traffic at Target stores has declined, marking a troubling trend that began shortly after the company announced shifts to their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program in late January. —Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

The Trump administration threatened to withhold funding from public schools unless officials verified the elimination of all programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. —Justin Porter, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025

Mayor Brandon Johnson promised to go to court to protect hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money for Chicago schools if President Donald Trump follows through on a threat to revoke the funds from districts that promote diversity, equity and inclusion practices. —Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025

The Trump administration halted the programs in February citing aspects that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. —Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2025

Among the demands outlined in the letter are the elimination of Harvard’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs and a ban on masks at campus protests, The Harvard Crimson, a student-run newspaper, and other outlets reported. —Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025

The Trump administration plans to freeze grants to Brown University and separately set conditions that Harvard University must meet – including a mask ban and removal of diversity, equity and inclusion programs – to receive federal money. —Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025

The acting chief of the top federal agency for protecting worker rights has signaled a pivot toward prioritizing President Trump’s campaign to stamp out diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the private and public sectors. —Alexandra Olson and Claire Savage, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2025

Essential Reads How policy will affect defense and national security now and in the future: Naval Academy removes hundreds of library books in DEI purge The U.S. Naval Academy has removed nearly 400 books that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from its library. —Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for diversity, equity and inclusion

• allusion
• collusion
• conclusion
• confusion
• contusion
• delusion
• diffusion
• effusion
• exclusion
• extrusion
• illusion
• infusion