Glossary of Inclusive Terminology
Updated May 21, 2025
Language shapes how we see the world, especially when it comes to inclusivity spaces where understanding terminology and the history behind certain words can be powerful tools for change. But, let’s be real: the vocabulary in this space evolves fast and keeping up with it can feel like chasing a moving target.
That’s why we’ve created this glossary. Not only are we hoping to help you navigate the terms, acronyms, and ideas that drive inclusive practices forward, but we hope that it’ll help spark more interest in learning more about each term and its usage. Whether you’re new to inclusive spaces or looking for a refresher, consider bookmarking this page so you can revisit it whenever a term pops up.
Looking for something specific? Browse the terms by category below:
Actions, Advocacy, and Accountability
Accomplices are individuals who go beyond just being allies, actively working to dismantle systems of oppression. They use their privilege to create change, taking risks and challenging the status quo. For example, accomplices are often individuals who are members of privileged communities but are committed to using their privilege to create change.
Allyship is the process of actively supporting and advocating for individuals from marginalized communities. An ally is someone who uses their position of privilege to create opportunities and advocate for people who do not have that same privilege. Allies are not members of the marginalized community they are advocating for, but they actively work to promote equity and justice for that community.
Anti-Oppression refers to strategies, theories, and actions that actively challenge and dismantle systemic inequalities based on race, gender, class, sexuality, ability, and more.
Intersectional Environmentalism is an inclusive version of environmentalism that advocates for the protection of both people and the planet. It acknowledges how environmental and social justice are deeply interconnected. For example, how pollution may affect the water quality of underrepresented individuals.
Intersectionality is a term coined by scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw describing how systems of oppression overlap to create distinct experiences for people with multiple identity categories. For example, an individual that is Indigenous and transgender encompasses two marginalized dimensions of diversity that are intersecting. Another example, an individual that is white, neurotypical, and wealthy encompasses three privileged dimensions of diversity. When considering visible and invisible dimensions of diversity, it is important to recognize intersectionality between dimensions.
Non-Violent Communication is a method of empathetic conversation that focuses on understanding and meeting the needs of both the speaker and the listener. Communication is an essential part of our daily lives, and the way we communicate can impact our relationships and interactions with others.
Social Justice is the commitment to equitable treatment, opportunities and fair outcomes for all individuals in the workplace, regardless of their background or identity.
Tokenism refers to the occurrence when organizations or employers make superficial efforts to include individuals from underrepresented groups. From an HR professional's perspective, tokenism can undermine genuine diversity and inclusion efforts and lead to a lack of trust and engagement among employees.
Biases and Behavioral Insights
Affinity Bias is the tendency to gravitate toward people who share the same interests or who have commonalities with. We tend to approach and appreciate people who remind us of ourselves or someone we know and like. For example: If you’re working with an employee who went to the same college or grew up in the same town, you may be more likely to approach or befriend them compared with an employee with whom you don’t share any similarities.
Attribution Bias refers to how we assess others and their achievements based on their actions. Imagine you have a coworker that is frequently late to work. With attribution bias, you may assume that they don’t care about their job or have a poor work ethic. In reality, they may have accommodations sorted out with their employers to start at a different time than everyone else. Attribution bias correlates behavior to extraneous or even untrue characteristics. This bias causes us to make assumptions about the causes of events or behaviors without necessarily understanding or fully knowing the real story.
Beauty Bias occurs when people are favored based on perceived physical attractiveness. This physical attractiveness is often described by Western beauty standards and norms.
Biases are mental judgements that affect how we perceive and acknowledge people and can often harm employees from historically marginalized backgrounds by creating a hostile or uncomfortable work environment.
Confirmation Bias is the idea that people seek out and interpret new information in a way that confirms what they already believe. Often, this causes people to overlook factual information, focus on factors that fit only their view, or reject evidence that contradicts what they already believe. Not only can confirmation bias be harmful to others, but it can also affect your own decision-making on the job.
Conformity Bias occurs when you allow your views to be swayed by those around you because you’re seeking acceptance from a group. As an example, conformity bias often occurs in recruitment. If most people feel one way about a candidate, but you feel differently, you may disregard your thoughts and slowly start to align with the group’s opinions and views. Imbalance Power dynamics can also lead to conformity bias.
Gaslighting is generally used to describe emotional invalidation in interpersonal relationships, it has been used more and more frequently to describe this behavior at work, especially when one is speaking out against discrimination and/or bias.
Implicit Bias refers to the unconscious attitudes and stereotypes that HR professionals may unintentionally hold, which can influence their decisions and actions towards certain individuals or groups in the workplace.
Microaggressions are defined as subtle or unintentional acts of discrimination targeting individuals based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or other marginalized identities. These actions can be verbal or nonverbal and manifest in various ways, such as jokes or comments that reinforce harmful stereotypes, questioning someone's identity or experiences, or disregarding someone's feelings or experiences.
Performative Allyship refers to superficial or insincere actions taken by individuals to appear supportive of marginalized groups without actively engaging in meaningful, long-term efforts to address systemic issues or promote genuine inclusion and equality.
Projection Bias refers to the tendency of individuals to assume that others share their thoughts, preferences, and beliefs, potentially leading to biased decision-making in hiring, promotion, and team dynamics.
Unconscious Bias refers to the implicit assumptions, beliefs, attitudes and stereotypes that we have about different groups. These learned mental judgements affect how we perceive and acknowledge people and can often harm employees from historically marginalized backgrounds by creating a hostile or uncomfortable work environment.
Dimensions of Diversity and Representation
Ageism refers to any age-based discrimination of an individual. It perpetuates harmful stereotypes about older individuals, undermining their value in society.
BIPOC is the acronym for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Cultural Competence refers to your ability to communicate effectively with individuals that vary greatly from yourself, whether that be ethnically, religiously, socially or culturally. It is about your company’s ability to make employees and clients feel understood, welcome and included. Cultural competence can turn the workplace into an open space, where colleagues can come together and relate to one another despite their differences.
Diversity is the state of showing a great deal of variety or differences. These differences can be in the form of experiences, perspectives, and identities, both visible and invisible. There are different dimensions of diversity such as age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, mental and physical ability and language, to name a few.
External Diversity is one of the four types of diversity and it covers the components one can and cannot control - income, religion, education, work experience, personal appearance, point of view, personal values, political beliefs, and perspective.
Others include citizenship, geographical location, and marital status. Similar to internal diversity components, external ones are quite closely related to an individual. However, an individual can control, change or influence most of them.
Indigenous refers to the original inhabitants of a particular region or territory, often with historical connections to the land predating the arrival of colonial or settler populations. Indigenous peoples maintain distinct cultural, social, economic, and political systems that are deeply rooted in their ancestral territories.
Internal Diversity is one of the four types of diversity and it covers the components that one can't control - age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and physical/mental ability. Race and ethnicity don't only cover the color of the skin but also one's culture.
Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement made by an institution that recognizes past and present Indigenous peoples of a traditional territory. It affirms that Indigenous peoples were displaced by the institution which was built on stolen land.
Marginalized describes an identity or group that have been historically disempowered and oppressed by influential and/or discriminatory groups. These groups may experience barriers in various forms at the workplace and can include: women, people with disabilities, people of color, 2SLGBTQ+ folks, Indigenous Peoples, people of a lower socio-economic status and so on.
Disability, Neurodiversity, and Mental Health
Ableism in the workplace refers to the discriminatory practices, policies and attitudes that disadvantage employees with disabilities or don’t allow for the same opportunity. It can manifest in various forms, such as inaccessible physical facilities, lack of reasonable accommodations, biased hiring and promotion practices, and negative attitudes towards employees with disabilities.
Accessibility refers to the design of environments, products, and services that are usable by all people, regardless of their ability or disability. It includes physical spaces, digital content, communication practices, and more.
Disability is a broad term that refers to those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is also referred to as emotional quotient (EQ) and emotional intelligence quotient (EIQ). It is the ability to perceive and comprehend your emotions and the emotions of others, allowing you to control your behavior and manage your relationships with others.
Neurodiversity encompasses a wide range of neurological and cognitive differences. Some of the most common conditions include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and Tourette’s syndrome, among others. While these conditions can impact a person’s ability to communicate and socialize, they can also provide unique strengths and perspectives that can be valuable in the workplace.
Neurodivergent / Neurotypical describes individuals whose brain functions differently from what is considered “typical”. In contrast, neurotypical describes individuals whose brain function aligns with societal norms.
Psychological Safety is the belief that one will not experience interpersonal or social threats when asking questions, asking for help, providing feedback, acknowledging mistakes or trying something new. Interpersonal or social threats include rejection, disrespect and intimidation. One may be labeled unfavorably or receive a punishment that impacts one’s identity, status and/or career. When an atmosphere is psychologically safe, all individuals share a sense of trust, respect, and belonging.
Trauma-Informed is a descriptive word that describes an approach that acknowledges the presence and impact of trauma in people’s lives. Trauma-informed work aims to create safe, supportive spaces that minimize re-traumatization.
Gender Identity
2SLGBTQIA+ refers to TwoSpirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersexual, Asexual, plus other ways individuals choose to identify.
Cisgender (or “cis) describes people whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Gender Expansive refers to individuals whose gender expression and identity expand beyond traditional norms. This can include non-binary, genderqueer, agender, and other identities.
Gender pronouns are words that refer to the person you are addressing; they are how we refer to someone besides using their name. Addressing people by their preferred pronouns is a simple way to show respect for their gender identity. While pronouns are helpful tools, many people use different pronouns in various situations, and some may not even use any pronouns at all. Being aware and using correct pronouns at work not only fosters inclusion and makes a person feel valued, but it also creates a healthier and safe space so everyone can be their true selves in their work environment. Pronouns can include she/her, he/him, they/them and more.
Latinx / Latine refers to Latin American individuals without the gender specific pronouns commonly used as Latino / Latina.
Non-Binary An umbrella term for gender identities that are not solely man or woman.
Transgender refers to people who do not identify with their assigned sex at birth.
Two-spirit (2S) refers to the historical and current Indigenous people whose individual Spirits were or are a blend of male and female Spirits
Power, Privilege, and Systems of Oppression
Anti-Racism refers to the movement to acknowledge and mitigate the systematic oppression of individuals through racial discrimination.
Colorism is discrimination based on skin tone, typically privileging lighter skin over darker shades. While it intersects with racism, it occurs both within and outside of racial and ethnic groups and reinforces colonial beauty standards.
Covert Racism is a subtle act that undermines or discriminates against another person or group of people. It can be perpetrated by individuals, groups or institutions and is less easily spotted due to its indirect nature. As the aggressor does this unconsciously, covert racism often goes unchecked.
Decolonization is the active practice of deconstructing colonial ideologies and structures. In the workplace, it involves centering Indigenous knowledge systems, challenging power imbalances, and disrupting exploitative practices and norms.
Lateral Violence refers to aggression, criticism, or undermining behaviors directed at members within the same marginalized community, often as a result of internalized oppression and systemic disenfranchisement.
Oppression, specifically systemic oppression, refers to the ways in which social, political, and economic systems perpetuate discrimination and inequality against certain groups of people based on their social identities. This can take many forms, such as policies and laws that disproportionately harm marginalized communities or cultural norms and values that reinforce harmful stereotypes and biases.
Overt racism is a purposeful action of deliberate hatred directed at a specific person or group. All conscious and deliberate discrimination is categorized as overt racism. It can be perpetrated by individuals, groups or institutions and is easily spotted due to its direct nature.
Privilege refers to the social advantages that individuals receive based on their social identities, such as race, gender, class, and ability. These advantages may be invisible to individuals who hold them, but they can have a profound impact on their experiences and opportunities. By recognizing privilege and its impact on individuals and society, intersectionality aims to promote greater understanding, inclusivity, and social justice.
Racism is a systemic belief that asserts the inherent superiority or inferiority of certain racial or ethnic groups, and seeks to justify discrimination, prejudice, and unequal treatment based on race. Racism is rooted in power imbalances and historical, social, and economic structures that perpetuate racial inequalities and oppress marginalized groups.
Workplace Inclusion and Engagement
Affinity Group, also known as an Employee Resource Group or Business Network Group, is a collection of employees brought together by shared characteristics and experiences. The purpose of an Affinity Group is to support employees by providing opportunities for upward mobility within the company, allowing the voices of marginalized individuals to be heard, reducing bias and discrimination and so forth.
Belonging is a cultivated sense of empowerment that allows all employees to be their authentic selves. Employees do not have to alter their appearance, behavior or values to be welcomed.
DEI Council is a group of employees who meet to discuss ways on how to promote inclusivity in the workplace. They receive feedback from all employees to ensure that all voices are heard, and provide representation from employees’ different backgrounds within the company. DEI councils are a way for members to discuss actionable items in regards to inclusivity initiatives, to collaborate with coworkers on how to increase inclusion and accessibility in the workplace, and helps to create strategic accountability for successful results.
DEI Statement is the communication of an organization’s commitment to fostering inclusion and valuing diversity within their workplace. They are also known as diversity commitments or mission statements and are stated publicly.
DEI Survey collects demographic data on the employees in an organization. This data is often used to set a benchmark for diversity and is the basis of DEI initiatives that will be implemented later. These surveys measure employee experiences through a demographic lens. For example, do all employees have the same experience regardless of their gender or race? Do differently-abled employees have a difficult time navigating the workplace? Depending upon the data collected, your company may need to increase its dedication to diverse, equitable and inclusive practices.
Employee Resource Group (ERG) also known as business resource groups or employee networks, are employee-led groups within the organization that provide a space for support, career development and raising awareness about a specific demographic’s experience.
Equality means ensuring fair and unbiased treatment of all individuals, regardless of their characteristics or backgrounds, throughout every aspect of employment.
Equity is ensuring that people have access to the same opportunities. This does not necessarily mean treating everyone equally. Equity acknowledges that historic and systemic barriers exist and recognizes that we do not all start from the same place. To ensure there is equity, barriers must be addressed by making adjustments to imbalances so that everyone has the opportunity to realize their full potential.
Inclusion is when people of different traits are socially accepted and welcomed. This is about creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to fully participate, and each person is valued for their distinctive skills, experiences, and perspectives.
Inclusive Leadership is the set of values and actions that promote diversity, equity and inclusion at work through inclusive hiring practices, creating diversity strategies and communicating inclusivity policies. Inclusive leaders take the time to thoroughly understand what makes each team member unique and supports them in being their best selves at work. This creates a positive work environment that has everyone feeling heard, valued, and appreciated. Inclusive leaders are individuals who are aware of their own biases and willingly educate themselves about different perspectives to inform their decision-making with others.
Pay Equity is the measurement of whether employees are paid fairly and equally for equal work of equal value, regardless of their demographic background.
Restorative Practices / Restorative Justice are approaches focused on repairing harm through dialogue, accountability, and community-based solutions. In inclusive spaces, it supports conflict resolution and healing after workplace harm.
White Fragility refers to the defensive reactions and resistance displayed by white individuals when confronted with discussions or challenges related to racism, often hindering productive dialogue and perpetuating systemic inequities.
Workforce Diversity is the measurement of the representation of different groups in the organization, including race, gender, and other demographic factors.
Final Thoughts
This glossary isn’t just a collection of buzzwords: it’s a reflection of the ongoing efforts, conversations, and lived experiences that shape our workplaces every day.
What does that mean exactly? Well, as lang as language evolves, this resource will too. Save it, share it, and check back often. If you see a term missing or want us to clarify something, reach out (because we’re always learning too!).
And remember: Inclusion isn’t a one-and-done—it’s a journey.
