discrimination positive
/dis.kʁi.mi.na.sjɔ̃ po.zi.tiv/feminine
Affirmative action in French is translated as discrimination positive. Wiktionary also lists action positive.
Meaning: set of policies (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| discrimination positive | /dis.kʁi.mi.na.sjɔ̃ po.zi.tiv/ | feminine |
| action positive | Quebec, feminine |
The term refers to a set of policies.
What does it mean word for word?
The term discrimination positive literally translates to 'positive discrimination'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, the standard way to refer to affirmative action is discrimination positive. In Quebec, the term action positive is used instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the noun discrimination is feminine, the adjective must be in its feminine form, positive.
Did you know?
- In France, the concept of discrimination positive is often legally contentious because the French Republic emphasizes a 'universalist' model that avoids categorizing citizens by race or ethnicity.
- In France, the term discrimination positive can sound oxymoronic to some because the word 'discrimination' almost always carries a negative connotation in French legal and social contexts.
- The Latin root of discrimination, 'discrimīnātiōnem', originally meant 'a distinguishing' or 'a separation', which is a more neutral concept than the modern social meaning.
Examples in context
- Même si beaucoup apportent un soutien de façade à l'idée de discrimination positive, en réalité, très peu de personnes issues des minorités sont embauchées.Although many pay lip service to the idea of affirmative action, in reality, very few minorities get hired.This sentence is useful for discussing how even when people claim to support the idea of discrimination positive, very few minorities are actually hired.Tatoeba #332048 by lbdx, translation #267920 by papabear
- La politique de discrimination positive est essentielle pour garantir l'égalité des chances dans notre société.The policy of positive discrimination is essential to guarantee equal opportunities in our society.
- La discrimination positive est un sujet complexe.Affirmative action is a complex subject.
- Le gouvernement débat de la discrimination positive.The government is debating affirmative action.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are discussing a new political news article.
- HugoAs-tu lu l'article sur la discrimination positive ?Did you read the article about affirmative action?
- ChloéOui, je trouve que c'est un débat nécessaire.Yes, I think it is a necessary debate.
- HugoChloé, penses-tu que cela va changer les choses ?Chloé, do you think this will change things?
- ChloéC'est possible, mais c'est difficile à prévoir.It's possible, but it's hard to predict.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “affirmative action” translations and entries discrimination positive, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries action, discrimination, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
