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
Noun
The Davis family has deep ties to Johnson C. Smith, Charlotte’s HBCU, and the Tar Heels practiced at Brayboy Gym this week in preparation for their two NCAA Tournament games at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2024 The investigation team was led by attorney Ron Norwood at Lewis Rice LLC, who is a member of the governing board and was the past board president of an HBCU. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024 What began as a picnic for Atlanta HBCU students in 1983, later grew into an annual spring break destination that attracted thousands from across the country. Lisa Respers France, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Since 2018, 44 HBCU students have expressed interest in applying for the college scholarship offered by the Winston-Salem Police Department in North Carolina. USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 The show was a spin-off to The Cosby Show, following Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional HBCU in Virginia. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 After joining the Different World cast via video for an appearance last Thursday at Morehouse College as part of the 2024 HBCU College Tour, the comedian took to social media to thank fans for their support. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024 The comedian and actor made a virtual appearance at the A Different World HBCU College Tour event on Feb. 29 at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, to join his fellow castmates from the beloved sitcom to raise money for HBCU scholarships and encourage enrollment. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 Here’s why that’s important HBCU enrollment increased 26% between 1976 and 1994, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Justin Gamble, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'HBCU.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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