Meaning & use

tokenism

noun·Academic

The practice of making only a symbolic or minimal effort to include underrepresented people, without real change.

See it in a sentence

Critics accused the company of tokenism for hiring one diverse candidate to appear in ads.

Adding a single female character felt like tokenism rather than genuine representation.

A note on using this word

Carries a negative connotation, implying the effort is superficial rather than a genuine commitment to inclusion.

Words with a similar meaning

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