plural HBCUs
: a college or university in the U.S. established before 1964 for African American students : a historically Black college or university
the state's largest HBCU

Note: The term HBCU was created as a federal designation during the 1986 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded federal funding for colleges and universities.

HBCU

2 of 2

abbreviation

historically Black colleges and universities

Examples of HBCU in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Harris graduated from the Washington, D.C., HBCU in 1986. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024 Tickets for the 2025 NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T are on sale now. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 24 Oct. 2024 Its strategy includes highlighting policy wins, such as the nearly $50 billion in funding for opportunity zones, historic HBCU funding and landmark pre-COVID-19 Black unemployment. Richard Fowler, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 The pioneer space—including Ora Washington, Richard Hudlin, Nathaniel Jackson, Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, as well as leadership in early HBCU tennis programs and Black tennis clubs—is forever revered. Danyel Smith, Essence, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for HBCU 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1980, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of HBCU was in 1980

Dictionary Entries Near HBCU

Cite this Entry

“HBCU.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/HBCU. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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