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

Only 54% of employees believe their organization pays about the right amount of attention to DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) practices. —David Hengartner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

The politically tinged fight is playing out in federal court in Texas, where US District Judge Reed O’Connor has homed in on standard language used by the Justice Department calling for diversity, equity and inclusion to be taken into consideration when choosing corporate monitors. —Evan Perez, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024

A number of companies, including Ford, Lowe’s and Harley-Davidson, have walked back their diversity, equity and inclusion policies and practices this year. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2024

Recruitment campaigns for underrepresented groups were abandoned while diversity, equity and inclusion professionals in their companies seemingly vanished. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 18 Oct. 2024

Executive actions may target LGBTQ+ rights and restrict funding for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). —Axios, 16 Oct. 2024

Retail Nordstrom Luxury department store chain Nordstrom’s head of diversity, equity and inclusion, Colleen Mitchell, has left the company. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019

The incident sparked debate online about whether the captain, Commander Yvonne Gray, was hired, in part due to her gender and sexuality in accordance with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) ideology. —Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 11 Oct. 2024

Many universities, which have often spearheaded diversity, equity and inclusion measures, have adopted land acknowledgement statements. —Melissa Santos, Axios, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined at sense 1