ethnicity

noun

eth·​nic·​i·​ty eth-ˈni-sə-tē How to pronounce ethnicity (audio)
plural ethnicities
1
: ethnic quality or affiliation
aspects of ethnicity
2
: a particular ethnic affiliation or group
students of diverse ethnicities

Examples of ethnicity in a Sentence

a university with a student body of diverse ethnicities
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hair aging in different races and ethnicities. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 Cal State said under the subpoena, CSU LA was legally obligated to provide employees’ names, gender, race/ethnicity, position title, work site, preferred personal phone number and personal email address, among other information. Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025 The crowd — a mix of young people, couples, LGBTQ+ followers and fans from diverse ethnicities — seemingly knew every lyric as Uchis’ velvety voice floated effortlessly through her bilingual anthems. Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025 Studies that compare genetic variation between pairs of siblings have been able to better control for socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as parenting practices and ethnicities; in these studies, the direct effects of DNA on IQ look even smaller, still with no hint of a biological mechanism. Eric Turkheimer, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ethnicity

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethnicity was in 1920

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ethnicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnicity. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ethnicity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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