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

Playing an American in a production staffed by Australians, Brits, a Chilean director and a Hispanic DP, her brain kept mutinying. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026

Racial disparities remained statewide, with 55% of black households living under the ALICE threshold, while 36% of white households and 43% of Hispanic and multiracial households were under the ALICE threshold, according to the report. — Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026

Throughout the day, the Fan Festival highlighted local Hispanic artists and performers, turning the event into a showcase of the community that has helped shape Kansas City’s cultural landscape. — J.m. Banks june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026

The attack deeply wounded Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community, as the majority of those killed were young gay and Hispanic men, and the case was investigated by the FBI as both terrorism and a hate crime. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 June 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