PoliticsAugust 15, 2026

underinclusion

un-der-in-KLOO-zhun

Definition

The failure of a law or policy to apply to all cases or groups that are similar to those it does regulate, often leading to charges of unfairness or constitutional inconsistency.

Etymology

Derived from the prefix 'under-' (meaning less than or insufficient) and 'inclusion' (from the Latin 'includere', meaning to shut or enclose), the term is primarily used in legal and sociological contexts to describe a failure to cover an entire class of subjects.

In the news

The Bee argues that the law suffers from underinclusion because it exempts 'news stories and editorials' from disclaimer requirements, even though those formats can also feature harmful AI-generated content, thereby proving the law is not actually about protecting voters from deception.

Breaking Bee? Christian satirists sue New Mexico for requiring 'disclaimers' on AI political satire

Read the full article ↗

Just The News

Related words

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.