ethnic

1 of 2

adjective

eth·​nic ˈeth-nik How to pronounce ethnic (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background
ethnic minorities
ethnic enclaves
b
: being a member of a specified ethnic group
an ethnic German
c
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a minority ethnic group
ethnic neighborhoods
ethnic foods
2
: of or relating to the Gentiles or to nations not converted to Christianity : pagan
… ancient ethnic revels of a faith long since forsaken …Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

ethnic

2 of 2

noun

chiefly US
: a member of an ethnic group
especially : a member of a minority group who retains the customs, language, or social views of the group

Examples of ethnic in a Sentence

Adjective The U.S. has a wide variety of ethnic groups made up of immigrants or their descendants. a festival featuring ethnic food and music
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The state highlighted stark racial and ethnic gaps, raising concerns about inequities that are creating education barriers. Steph Solis, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024 Baretto cautioned that those Democratic candidates have to overcome historic underinvestment in regions such as the San Joaquin Valley, which has led to lower voter registration and turnout among Latinos compared with other racial and ethnic groups. Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
Risqué language and colorful ethnics epithets flowed as liberally as the liquor, drawing the ire of a nearby diner who, while not nearly as famous, was at least as wealthy and possibly more influential. Lizz Schumer, People.com, 29 Sep. 2024 This storybook world is beset by problems, anarchists and aristocrats and casual cracks about Jews and Slavs and non-Austro-German ethnics of all kinds. Robert Rubsam, Washington Post, 24 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for ethnic 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ethnic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Late Latin ethnicus, from Greek ethnikos national, gentile, from ethnos nation, people; akin to Greek ēthos custom — more at sib

First Known Use

Adjective

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethnic was in 1542

Dictionary Entries Near ethnic

Cite this Entry

“Ethnic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnic. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

ethnic

1 of 2 noun
eth·​nic ˈeth-nik How to pronounce ethnic (audio)
: a member of an ethnic group
especially : a member of a minority group who keeps customs, language, or social ideas of the group

ethnic

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of or relating to groups of people with common traits and customs and a sense of shared identity
ethnic minorities
2
: of or relating to ethnics
ethnic neighborhoods
ethnically
-ni-k(ə-)lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ethnic

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