defunds
Cuts off money
Defunds is the third-person singular present tense of defund, meaning to withdraw or reduce financial support from an organization, program, or initiative.
The term gained prominence in political discourse around 2020 with the slogan "defund the police," which called for redirecting portions of police budgets to social services.
When a legislature defunds a program, it eliminates or cuts its allocated budget.
The committee voted to defund the arts initiative.
Severs or reduces
- slashingCutting with force
- reductionMaking something smaller
- trimmingCutting away excess
- curtailmentAct of reducing scope
withdrawal · reallocation · stripping · eliminating · zeroing out · decreasing · shrinking · paring
Organizations providing services
- programsCoded instructions for computers
- departmentsSubdivisions of an organization
- federalDivided governmental authority
- stateCondition or mode
municipal · public sector · services · grants · subsidies · institutions · bureaucracy · administration
Prolonged public disagreement
- debateFormal argument on issues
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
- partisanBiased toward one side
- electionsFormal choosing of officials
lobbying · campaign · opposition · criticism · conservative · progressive · left · right
Civil law enforcement
- law enforcementUpholding legal codes
- abolitionFormal discontinuation of practice
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- reimaginingFresh interpretation of existing material
reallocation · community safety · alternatives · social services · mental health response · decarceration · prison · oversight
Public expression of disapproval
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- movementChange in position
- petitionFormal written appeal
- backlashStrong negative reaction
opposition · advocacy · rallies · demonstrations · grassroots · abolition · reform · demands
cuts
Severs or reduces
curtailment · withdrawal · reallocation · stripping · eliminating · zeroing out · decreasing · shrinking · paring · rollback
agencies
Organizations providing services
- programsCoded instructions for computers
- departmentsSubdivisions of an organization
- federalDivided governmental authority
state · municipal · public sector · services · grants · subsidies · institutions · bureaucracy · administration · welfare
controversy
Prolonged public disagreement
- debateFormal argument on issues
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
- partisanBiased toward one side
elections · lobbying · campaign · opposition · criticism · conservative · progressive · left · right · legislation
police
Civil law enforcement
- law enforcementUpholding legal codes
- abolitionFormal discontinuation of practice
- reformImprove by correcting faults
reimagining · reallocation · community safety · alternatives · social services · mental health response · decarceration · prison · oversight · accountability
protest
Public expression of disapproval
backlash · opposition · advocacy · rallies · demonstrations · grassroots · abolition · reform · demands · organizing
defundsfunds
Available financial resources
finances · bankrolls · subsidizes · allocates · appropriates
- defund policeRemove officer budget allocation