ethnicity

noun

eth·​nic·​i·​ty eth-ˈni-sə-tē 

plural ethnicities

1

: ethnic quality or affiliation

aspects of ethnicity

2

: a particular ethnic affiliation or group

students of diverse ethnicities

Synonyms of ethnicity

• nationality
• nation

Examples of ethnicity in a Sentence

a university with a student body of diverse ethnicities

Recent Examples on the Web

Markle had also remarked early on that she was disheartened that so much coverage of her romance focused on her ethnicity. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

By the Monitor's Editorial Board In much of the Middle East, politics and security are closely intertwined with religion and ethnicity. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026

The doctor then draws a hairline that matches your age, ethnicity, and facial symmetry. — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

The church’s origins date to the arrival of Christian missionaries in Mombasa in 1844, and its membership has long represented a diverse cross section of Kenyan society, with members of various ethnicities and social strata. — Stephanie Triplettall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ethnicity

• basicity
• chronicity
• complicity
• cyclicity
• duplicity
• facticity
• felicity
• helicity
• plasticity
• publicity
• rusticity
• simplicity