soft bigotry of low expectations

noun

The practice of expecting less from members of a disadvantaged group and thus implicitly encouraging those people not to reach their full potential.

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Meanings

nounsoft bigotry of low expectations (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe practice of expecting less from members of a disadvantaged group and thus implicitly encouraging those people not to reach their full potential.

Origin

A term used by US president George W. Bush; attributed to speechwriter Michael Gerson.

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Cite this entry
APA

soft bigotry of low expectations. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/soft%20bigotry%20of%20low%20expectations

MLA

“soft bigotry of low expectations.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/soft%20bigotry%20of%20low%20expectations. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “soft bigotry of low expectations,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/soft%20bigotry%20of%20low%20expectations.

Source: soft bigotry of low expectations on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.