anti-miscegenation
adjective
an·ti-mis·ce·ge·na·tion
ˌan-tē-(ˌ)mi-ˌse-jə-ˈnā-shən 
-ˌmi-si-jə-ˈnā-,
ˌan-tī-
variants
or antimiscegenation
: opposing or prohibiting miscegenation
In many states anti-miscegenation laws made it a crime for two people of different races to have a relationship or engage in intimate activities.—
Sue Leeman
Sue LeemanExamples of anti-miscegenation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the 19th century and into the 20th century, California’s anti-miscegenation laws prohibited whites from marrying outside their race.
—Sam Vong, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
Afterward, the two began a secret relationship, given the time period’s constraints: the taboo nature of interracial relationships and nationwide anti-miscegenation laws, which segregated relationships and intimate relationships based on race.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
Eugenicists promoted anti-miscegenation laws and forced sterilization of those in prison and in poverty and of those with disabilities or mental illness.
—Tania Fabo, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Brown's mother, Jane, a white woman, and her father, Jerry, a Black man, first spotted each other in a library at Clemson University, going to school at a time and in a culture that was still shaped by anti-miscegenation laws despite their overruling in the U.S. in 1967.
—Fran Tirado, Them, 3 Oct. 2024
June 12 marks the 57th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia, deeming that state’s anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional and affording mixed-race marriages legal protection across the nation.
—Tracy Slater / Made By History, TIME, 12 June 2024
Both houses served white men, but Missouri’s anti-miscegenation laws only allowed Black men to seek companionship at the bordello where Black escorts worked.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
The hosts have covered tasty topics like the history of Ketchup and Vietnamese food and serious ones like the impact of anti-miscegenation laws on AAPI communities.
—Minhae Shim Roth, Good Housekeeping, 24 Mar. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sam Vong, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
Afterward, the two began a secret relationship, given the time period’s constraints: the taboo nature of interracial relationships and nationwide anti-miscegenation laws, which segregated relationships and intimate relationships based on race.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
Eugenicists promoted anti-miscegenation laws and forced sterilization of those in prison and in poverty and of those with disabilities or mental illness.
—Tania Fabo, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Brown's mother, Jane, a white woman, and her father, Jerry, a Black man, first spotted each other in a library at Clemson University, going to school at a time and in a culture that was still shaped by anti-miscegenation laws despite their overruling in the U.S. in 1967.
—Fran Tirado, Them, 3 Oct. 2024
June 12 marks the 57th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia, deeming that state’s anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional and affording mixed-race marriages legal protection across the nation.
—Tracy Slater / Made By History, TIME, 12 June 2024
Both houses served white men, but Missouri’s anti-miscegenation laws only allowed Black men to seek companionship at the bordello where Black escorts worked.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
The hosts have covered tasty topics like the history of Ketchup and Vietnamese food and serious ones like the impact of anti-miscegenation laws on AAPI communities.
—Minhae Shim Roth, Good Housekeeping, 24 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Anti-miscegenation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-miscegenation. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
