ethnic group

noun

plural ethnic groups

: one of the many large groups of people who share a particular identity according to common ancestry, culture, nationality, language, and/or religion

On average, Asian Americans have a high rate of college graduation, yet educational gaps within ethnic groups are concealed by the broad Asian American label. Asian ethnic groups, such as Laotian and Cambodian Americans, have a lower college graduation rate than the national average.

—Jin X. Goh et al.

Afrikaners are a South African ethnic group descended primarily from Dutch and other European settlers, and are a minority in post-apartheid South Africa.

—Taryn Simon

Latinos are currently the single largest minority group in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, though the very notion that Latinos make up a single ethnic group obscures the reality. … the term "Latino" pertains to a diverse group of nationalities and cultures and, as it might become increasingly clear, more than one or even two political viewpoints.

—Karen Sue Smith

Examples of ethnic group in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Afghanistan is a country of many ethnic groups, some of which try to crush the others while defending themselves against outside aggression, all in the most brutal poverty. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2026

The 39-episode series includes six or seven episodes featuring the culture of Taiwan’s Hakka people, one of the island’s main ethnic groups. — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026

Well, New York Times data showed a 29-point shift to the Dems for Latino voters nationwide in the midterms, compared with two years ago — by far the largest of any ethnic group. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026

Proficiency improved for nearly every racial and ethnic group, while gaps between white, Black and Hispanic students narrowed but remained significant. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above