ethnic

adjective eth·nic \ ˈeth-nik \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Definition of ethnic

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

This is an electorate that is experiencing status decline in a society marked by growing racial equality and ethnic diversity.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "How the chaos of 1968 set the stage for a President Donald Trump | Will Bunch," 24 May 2018
At the root of Trump's appeal to his voters is a promise to check the disruptive forces of globalized economics and ethnic diversity that have been remaking the United States in recent decades.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "What the royal family and Donald Trump both understand," 21 May 2018
In his remarks, Sirisena said that his government on the path to ethnic reconciliation.

— Washington Post, "Sri Lanka marks end to civil war as a divided nation," 21 May 2018
Grozny once had a substantial ethnic Russian, Christian population but most of them fled during the wars.

— ivan nechepurenko, New York Times, "Gunmen Attack Church in Russia’s Chechnya Region, Killing 3," 19 May 2018
Particularly worrying is the gradual ethnic polarisation of the army.

— The Economist, "Burundi’s president is now “Supreme Eternal Guide”. Retirement is out," 19 May 2018
The officials said hateful Facebook posts have helped amplify the ethnic tensions.

— jessi hempel, WIRED, "What Happened to Facebook's Grand Plan to Wire the World?," 17 May 2018
He was presented with a flower garland from his ethnic Indian supporters in the colors of his party along with a basket of eggs, which one of his backers said symbolized renewal.

— anuradha raghu, Bloomberg.com, "Malaysia's Anwar Pardoned, Paving Way for Return to Politics," 16 May 2018
Celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day May 18-20 with parades, folk dancing, rosemaling, ethnic food, arts and crafts, a run/walk and a strongman competition.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Morel Mushroom Festival, White Deer Triathlon and more to do around Wisconsin," 13 May 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

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First Known Use: 1542

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

ethnic Synonyms

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

ethnic

noun

Definition of ethnic

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

In the late 1960s, the mayor was wooing white ethnics.

— sam roberts, New York Times, "Mary Sansone, a Grass-Roots Political Godmother, Dies at 101," 15 May 2018
Researchers have said that facial recognition algorithms often fail to identify, or misidentify, people of certain racial or ethnics groups.

— jon schuppe /, NBC News, "Axon's police body cams could be getting an AI upgrade. Civil rights groups are worried.," 26 Apr. 2018
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

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Sociology Terms

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

ETHNIC Defined for English Language Learners

ethnic

adjective

Definition of ethnic for English Language Learners

: 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