noun
- A system of racial segregation and discrimination, particularly the apartheid system in South Africa that enforced white minority rule.
Usage: historical; South African English; from Afrikaans, literally 'boss-ship' or 'master-ship'
Examples
- Baaskaap was the foundation of South African society for decades.
- The policies of baaskaap denied basic rights to the majority population.
- Historians study baaskaap as a critical period in South African history.
- Baaskaap enforced strict racial hierarchies and legal discrimination.
- The end of baaskaap marked a significant turning point for the nation.