bigotry

noun

big·​ot·​ry ˈbi-gə-trē 

plural bigotries

1

: obstinate or narrow-minded adherence to one's own opinions and prejudices : the state of mind of a bigot

overcoming his own bigotry

Religious bigotry, then, did not decide this election, and Kennedy became the first Roman Catholic president.

—Mary Beth Norton et al.

2

: acts or beliefs characteristic of a bigot

racial bigotry

will not tolerate bigotry in our organization

Synonyms of bigotry

• intolerance
• prejudice
• sectarianism
• dogmatism
• illiberality
• bias
• narrow-mindedness
• illiberalism
• partisanship
• small-mindedness

Examples of bigotry in a Sentence

a deeply ingrained bigotry prevented her from even considering the counterarguments

Recent Examples on the Web

Both had spent their entire lives chafing under the terror of bigotry, and from the hypocrisy being exposed by a heinous, toxic legacy of institutionalized double standards. —John E. Green, Time, 1 Feb. 2026

Nick, first buy a dictionary and then take a few courses in logic and the evils of bigotry. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026

At twenty-seven, Fuentes was arguably America’s most prominent white nationalist—someone who was forthright about, and seemingly proud of, his bigotry. —Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026

That warrant followed a separate September 2023 arrest on state charges, including assault on public safety personnel, third-degree assault, breach of peace, interfering with an officer and first-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias, as noted in the release. —Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see bigot

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bigotry

noun

big·​ot·​ry ˈbig-ə-trē 

plural bigotries

1

: the state of mind of a bigot

2

: behavior or beliefs characteristic of a bigot