ethnic

adjective eth·nic \ ˈeth-nik \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

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 : heathen, pagan

… ancient ethnic revels of a faith long since forsaken …
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

See ethnic defined for English-language learners

Examples of ethnic in a Sentence

The U.S. has a wide variety of ethnic groups made up of immigrants or their descendants.
children who were raised in a home where there was a strong ethnic consciousness

Recent Examples of ethnic from the Web

Hekmatullah, an ethnic Uzbek, was a fearsome presence in Jowzjan, a predominantly Uzbek region.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Islamic State leader in Afghanistan is killed in U.S. airstrike," 9 Apr. 2018
Many organizations schedule team-building events this month where workers are invited to showcase their ethnic heritages by bringing in a dish of food or wearing an article of clothing from the homeland.

— steven p. dinkin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "The polite new hire and the clueless office mentor," 8 Apr. 2018
On Thursday, the board will hear about research showing ethnic studies improves student outcomes, resulting in better grade point averages and higher retention and graduation rates.

— elaine ayala, San Antonio Express-News, "Texas State Board of Education is poised for a first — a good first," 8 Apr. 2018
Officials said the student was charged with ethnic intimidation, institutional vandalism and criminal mischief after the incident was reported Thursday night.

— Philly.com, "Student charged in Lehigh residence hall 'racist language'," 7 Apr. 2018
Our national focus should never veer toward her ethnic or religious background.

— mitra jouhari, Teen Vogue, "Don't Focus on the YouTube Shooter's Nationality. Focus on Her Deeds.," 6 Apr. 2018
Scrolling through Facebook in Myanmar often reveals a toxic brew of jingoistic fervor and ethnic vilification.

— laignee barron, Time, "Could Facebook Have Helped Stop the Spread of Hate in Myanmar?," 6 Apr. 2018
Her varied and diverse repertoire included musicals, dramatics works, comedies, classics, and multi-ethnic and multi-racial productions.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 4/5," 5 Apr. 2018
Even in Addis Ababa, the capital, where locals are wary of his ethnic nationalism, there is optimism.

— The Economist, "A charismatic young leader tries to calm ethnic tension in Ethiopia," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ethnic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ethnic

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1542

See Words from the same year

ethnic Synonyms

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

ethnic

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

See ethnic defined for English-language learners

See ethnic defined for kids

Recent Examples of ethnic from the Web

For instance, in 2016 ethnic Amharas based in the Wolkait district opposed a federal plan that reorganized their land and placed it within the boundaries of the Tigray Regional State.

— yohannes y. gedamu, Washington Post, "Ethiopia just pardoned political prisoners. Could that signal a shift to real democracy?," 9 Feb. 2018
Here is our first: A guide to 32 don't-miss food events in Cleveland in 2018, pizza parties and ethnics fests, paczki parties, maple sugar weekends and the return of the Fabulous Food Show.

— cleveland.com, "32 don't-miss Cleveland food events: 365 things to do in 2018," 10 Jan. 2018
The German-American Bund was founded in 1936 by pro-Nazi ethnic Germans living in the United States.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Footage Recalls the Night Madison Square Garden Filled With Nazis," 13 Oct. 2017
The group officials see as among the most vulnerable to Russian influence is the more than one million ethnic Germans who immigrated from the former Soviet Union.

— anton troianovski, WSJ, "Merkel’s Electoral Rivals Target Her Russia Policy," 13 Sep. 2017
This is a realistic assessment for many subgroups within the U.S. population—particularly those of lower economic status, minority ethnics, many women, the aged, and the unemployed—in earlier historical periods marked by high unemployment.

— ray pratt, Slate Magazine, "Paranoia Rises When We Feel Politically Powerless," 31 May 2017
The Fula people are a Muslim ethnic group thought to have roots in the Middle East and North Africa, who are now widely dispersed across West Africa.

— martha ross, The Mercury News, "Rachel Dolezal, who famously claimed to be a black woman, takes African name," 2 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of ethnic

1941

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

ETHNIC Defined for English Language Learners

ethnic

adjective

: of or relating to races or large groups of people who have the same customs, religion, origin, etc.
: associated with or belonging to a particular race or group of people who have a culture that is different from the main culture of a country