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
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 27 Nov. 2025
Colorado running backs coach Marshall Faulk is expected to be named the next head coach at Southern University, an HBCU school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which fired coach Terrence Graves last month following a 1-6 start.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Younger listeners will recognize the name from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, while old folks will note the allusion to the actor’s breakout performance in Spike Lee’s 1988 HBCU homage School Daze.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025
Alabama State destroyed the Alabama A&M Bulldogs during the nation's largest HBCU football match-up, 56 to 13.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for HBCU
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Noun
But just one season later, reports say he is expected to jump to Southern University, a HBCU [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] institution in his home state of Louisiana.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 27 Nov. 2025
Colorado running backs coach Marshall Faulk is expected to be named the next head coach at Southern University, an HBCU school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which fired coach Terrence Graves last month following a 1-6 start.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Younger listeners will recognize the name from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, while old folks will note the allusion to the actor’s breakout performance in Spike Lee’s 1988 HBCU homage School Daze.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025
Alabama State destroyed the Alabama A&M Bulldogs during the nation's largest HBCU football match-up, 56 to 13.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 16 Nov. 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 30 Nov. 2025.
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