white supremacy

noun

1
: the belief that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races
The alt-right is a reactionary conservative movement … . It is characterized by an embrace of fascism, white supremacy, and misogyny …Constance Grady
2
: the social, economic, and political systems that collectively enable white people to maintain power over people of other races
… [William] Kelley turned his considerable intellect and imagination to the question of what it is like to be white in this country, and what it is like, for all Americans, to live under the conditions of white supremacyKathryn Schulz

Examples of white supremacy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Biden in South Carolina:Black voters are asked to 'show up and show out' Haley weighed in on disputes over the flag – a controversial symbol of the Civil War Confederacy associated with white supremacy – as governor running for reelection. USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Maybe the most interesting turn lives with Champlin’s disturbing and hauntingly effective interpretation of Ned, the epitome of everything white supremacy yearns to protect. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024 It Economic and structural inequality Slavery drove American industrialization, and to maintain the hierarchy of white supremacy after Juneteenth, government leaders created Black codes, restrictive laws designed to limit the freedom of Black people and ensure their availability as cheap labor. Tiffany Eve Lawrence, Parents, 4 Feb. 2024 This is obviously a satirical premise, meant to highlight the way Black lives are affected every day by white supremacy, but no one involved in the Society seems to be aware of how ridiculous their reasoning is. Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2024 Those namesakes include individuals who owned slaves, took land from Indigenous tribes, advocated for white supremacy, or had other troubling ties, according to one of the group's founders. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Jan. 2024 For decades, the University of Pennsylvania has held hundreds of skulls that once were used to promote white supremacy through racist scientific research. Melissa Noel, Essence, 5 Feb. 2024 So Snyder remakes the childish Star Wars series into rousing adult moral lessons, whereas Martin Scorsese succumbs to America’s current self-loathing in his first political film (and first Western)— a bland epic superficially preoccupied with white supremacy. Armond White, National Review, 5 Jan. 2024 In 2020 Mississippi governor Tate Reeves signed into law a bill that removed and replaced the symbol of white supremacy and Civil War glorification. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'white supremacy.' 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

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of white supremacy was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near white supremacy

Cite this Entry

“White supremacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20supremacy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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