Hispanic

adjective

His·​pan·​ic hi-ˈspa-nik 

1

: of, relating to, or being a native of Spanish-speaking Latin America or a descendant of such a person

Hispanic people/cultures

the Hispanic Caribbean

… Hispanic communities in and outside of Latin America.

—Angely Mercado

especially : of, relating to, or being Hispanic people living in the U.S.

the state's Hispanic voters

There is no monolithic Hispanic vote, in Texas or anywhere else.

—Tina Aviles

Hispanic residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties have backgrounds that are Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican and from many countries in Central and South America.

—Anthony Man

2

: of or relating to the people, speech, or culture of Spain

Hispanic noun

Hispanicism

hi-ˈspa-nə-ˌsi-zəm 

noun

Hispanicist

hi-ˈspa-nə-sist 

noun

Hispanicize

hi-ˈspa-nə-ˌsīz 

transitive verb

Examples of Hispanic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The district is 24% Hispanic and Latino, 14% Asian and 10% Black. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Several of the Kansas cities where ICE enforcement appears to have increased have large Hispanic populations. — Heather Hollingsworth, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026

In an August Morning Consult survey of 4,528 Hispanic adults nationwide, respondents were randomly divided into two groups and shown ads in Spanish and English. — Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026

The organization believes some of these conversations and disagreements among board members are drawing time and attention away from students, many of whom are Hispanic and come from Spanish-speaking backgrounds. — Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin hispanicus, from Hispania Iberian Peninsula, Spain

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing Hispanic

• non-Hispanic
• pre-Hispanic

Rhymes for Hispanic

• botanic
• brahmanic
• britannic
• galvanic
• germanic
• koranic
• mechanic
• organic
• puranic
• quranic
• romanic
• satanic

Kids Definition

Hispanic

adjective

His·​pan·​ic his-ˈpan-ik 

1

: of or relating to the people, culture, or speech of Spain

2

: of, relating to, or being a person living in the U.S. from or whose ancestors were from Latin America

Hispanic noun