1
as in racism
the belief that certain races of people are by birth and nature superior to others
the racialism of some of the nation's founders seems to contradict their professed belief that "all men are created equal"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prejudice
hatred of or discrimination against a person or persons based on their race
an ugly incident of racialism that campus police are investigating
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of racialism
Internally, the adoption of multi-racialism as a policy was designed to diminish—even if, initially, imperceptibly—the social and economic influence of white South Africans, and to displace them, at least partly, by the local petite bourgeoisie.
—
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025
In our day, he is reviled for his imperialism, racialism, and even his humorously excessive appreciation for a fine cigar.
—Peter J. Travers, National Review, 7 Dec. 2021
Today, certain people talk about racialism, indigenism, and decolonial theories, but beneath these terms hateful and fanatical agitators want a race war.
—Harrison Stetler, The New Republic, 24 May 2021
King never seriously entertained the utopian ideas of Black emigration or the romantic racialism of Muhammad’s Black nationalism.
—Brandon M. Terry, The New York Review of Books, 11 Mar. 2021
Post-racialism is the promise of working to move beyond the perils of the Black condition in America, an achievement of Black acceleration and exceptionalism; when transcending race was aspirational and thought of to be wholly possible.
—Taylor Renee Aldridge, Harper's BAZAAR, 23 Feb. 2021
Hawley describes Roosevelt as driven by a combination of warrior republicanism and crude racialism, which at times led him to adopt autocratic racial theories and dreams of imperial conquest.
—Zaid Jilani, Washington Examiner, 31 Dec. 2020
This seed of scientific racialism waxed and reached its peaks in the years around 1900, before waning in the 20th century.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2011
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025
In our day, he is reviled for his imperialism, racialism, and even his humorously excessive appreciation for a fine cigar.
—Peter J. Travers, National Review, 7 Dec. 2021
Today, certain people talk about racialism, indigenism, and decolonial theories, but beneath these terms hateful and fanatical agitators want a race war.
—Harrison Stetler, The New Republic, 24 May 2021
King never seriously entertained the utopian ideas of Black emigration or the romantic racialism of Muhammad’s Black nationalism.
—Brandon M. Terry, The New York Review of Books, 11 Mar. 2021
Post-racialism is the promise of working to move beyond the perils of the Black condition in America, an achievement of Black acceleration and exceptionalism; when transcending race was aspirational and thought of to be wholly possible.
—Taylor Renee Aldridge, Harper's BAZAAR, 23 Feb. 2021
Hawley describes Roosevelt as driven by a combination of warrior republicanism and crude racialism, which at times led him to adopt autocratic racial theories and dreams of imperial conquest.
—Zaid Jilani, Washington Examiner, 31 Dec. 2020
This seed of scientific racialism waxed and reached its peaks in the years around 1900, before waning in the 20th century.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racialism
Noun
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Good parenting can help protect kids from racism’s harmful effects, but what works in person might not work online.—
Alvin Thomas,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cook’s broader economic research on inequality, innovation, and racism’s effect on invention brings policy relevance that might otherwise go overlooked.—
Kori Hale,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Oklahoma Indian Territory who defied poverty and prejudice to become one of America’s first Black female millionaires — at just 11 years old.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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And, as Politico observed, his critics are poised to define him not by policy but by identity—testing whether the city that elected its first Muslim mayor will judge him by his performance or by prejudice.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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White South Africans, whose roots can be traced to settlers arriving under Dutch and British colonial rule, dominated the country through a system of racial segregation known as apartheid from 1948 until its abolishment in the early 1990s.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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With each pot, cast iron skillet, and cooking utensil, Gilmore exemplified this longstanding tradition in Black life, negotiating her identity in America and resisting the ills of racial segregation that pervaded nearly every aspect of her community.—
Time,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Racialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racialism. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.
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