plural HBCUs
: a college or university in the U.S. established before 1964 for African American students : a historically Black college or university
the state's largest HBCU
Note: The term HBCU was created as a federal designation during the 1986 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded federal funding for colleges and universities.
historically Black colleges and universities
Examples of HBCU in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Quincy Green, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025
Officials have not linked any of the threats to the HBCU campuses to the shooting at Utah Valley University.
—Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
Rust College, the state’s oldest HBCU, had been a haven for civil rights workers during the 1950s and 1960s.
—Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band perform during halftime at the HBCU Legacy Bowl at Tulane's Yulman Stadium on February 24, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
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Noun
The partnership builds on last year’s Good Neighbor Marketplace activation, which highlighted a clothing brand launched by another HBCU alum.
—Quincy Green, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025
Officials have not linked any of the threats to the HBCU campuses to the shooting at Utah Valley University.
—Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
Rust College, the state’s oldest HBCU, had been a haven for civil rights workers during the 1950s and 1960s.
—Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band perform during halftime at the HBCU Legacy Bowl at Tulane's Yulman Stadium on February 24, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for HBCU
Cite this Entry
“HBCU.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/HBCU. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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