Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Opposing the policy of apartheid in South Africa: The word "antiapartheid" describes a person, group, action, or ideology that is against the former system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • He was a prominent antiapartheid activist who spent years in prison.
  • The movement organized many antiapartheid protests and boycotts.
  • Her antiapartheid writings were banned by the government.

Advanced Usage

• As a modifier in compound nouns: While "antiapartheid" itself is an adjective, it is frequently used to modify other nouns to form common historical terms.
  • The antiapartheid struggle was a defining global cause in the late 20th century.
  • They sang antiapartheid songs at the rally.

Variants and Related Words

• Anti-apartheid: This is a common hyphenated spelling variant of the single-word form "antiapartheid." Both forms are correct and have the same meaning.
• Apartheid (n): The policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race, specifically the historical system in South Africa.
• Pro-apartheid (adj): Supporting the policy of apartheid (the opposite of antiapartheid).

Synonyms

• Anti-racial segregation: Opposed to the separation of people based on race.
• Pro-equality: In favor of equal rights for all races (context-specific).

Notes on Meaning

• Historical Context: The term is intrinsically linked to the historical period of apartheid in South Africa (c. 1948-1994). It is less commonly used in contemporary contexts except when discussing that history.
• Specificity: The term almost exclusively refers to opposition to the South African system, not to racial discrimination in general. For broader opposition to racism, terms like "anti-racist" are used.

Adjective

1. opposing the policy of apartheid in South Africa
   • an antiapartheid leader