Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
affirmative action
is a standard idiom. It means “an action that will support or carry out a policy designed to undo the effects of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or ethnic origin,” and it has come to mean that policy itself, as well. But the term has had such heavy use, both technical and loose, that users must be careful that its precise meaning is clear from context. The difference between a policy, an intention, and an emotional set can be crucial.
