ethnicity

noun

eth·​nic·​i·​ty eth-ˈni-sə-tē How to pronounce ethnicity (audio)
plural ethnicities
Synonyms of ethnicitynext
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.
Alexander told Poets & Quants the program had been reexamining its policies before the investigation was started and has removed race and ethnicity from its application criteria. Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026 The disparities among different races and ethnicities point to how factors like income, access to healthcare, food availability and exercise opportunities may be driving them, experts say. Dr. Camille Charles, ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026 The United States was founded as an experiment in propositional citizenship, the idea that a nation could be bound not by race, ethnicity, or language but by fidelity to a set of principles—liberty, equality, self-governance, and inalienable rights. Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026 Seven years later, 59% of the force is white and 41% Black, Hispanic or another race or ethnicity. Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Ethnicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnicity. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on ethnicity

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