Hispanic

adjective

His·​pan·​ic hi-ˈspa-nik How to pronounce Hispanic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being a person of Latin American descent and especially of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin living in the U.S.
2
: of or relating to the people, speech, or culture of Spain
Hispanic noun
Hispanicism noun
Hispanicist noun
Hispanicize transitive verb

Examples of Hispanic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The local company took the grand prize in PepsiCo’s first accelerator program focused on Hispanic entrepreneurs. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2023 White women were the second most likely group at 30.2% and Hispanic women were the third most likely at 21.8%. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 23 Nov. 2023 In 2021 and 2022, there were marginal gains, with 10 films where Hispanic/Latino actors held lead or co-lead roles, out of a total of 109 and 118 leading roles, respectively. Joaquin Castro, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023 This is powered by the fact that the Hispanic population is large, and the fastest growing demographic. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023 Unstated, but no secret, is the disparate impact this will have on black and Hispanic students who are disproportionately likely to be given a diploma as a substitute for an education. The Editors, National Review, 20 Nov. 2023 Some in the industry expressed concerns that this year’s ceremony, however, would render the Latin Grammys too inclusive, and therefore permissive to outsiders seeking to occupy space that would ideally remain dedicated to Latino and Hispanic communities. Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023 In 2020, Biden won over 70% of black and Hispanic voters, but new numbers indicate the Latino voting bloc may be less enthusiastic about the president’s reelection. Eden Villalovas, Washington Examiner, 20 Nov. 2023 This number was even lower for Black and Hispanic beneficiaries and among lower-income people. WIRED, 13 Nov. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin hispanicus, from Hispania Iberian Peninsula, Spain

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hispanic was in 1584

Dictionary Entries Near Hispanic

Cite this Entry

“Hispanic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hispanic. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

Hispanic

adjective
His·​pan·​ic his-ˈpan-ik How to pronounce Hispanic (audio)
1
: of or relating to the people, culture, or speech of Spain or of Spain and Portugal
2
: of, relating to, or being a person living in the U.S. from or whose ancestors were from Latin America
Hispanic noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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