Hispanic

adjective

His·​pan·​ic hi-ˈspa-nik 

1

: of, relating to, or being a native of Spanish-speaking Latin America or a descendant of such a person

Hispanic people/cultures

the Hispanic Caribbean

… Hispanic communities in and outside of Latin America.

—Angely Mercado

especially : of, relating to, or being Hispanic people living in the U.S.

the state's Hispanic voters

There is no monolithic Hispanic vote, in Texas or anywhere else.

—Tina Aviles

Hispanic residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties have backgrounds that are Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican and from many countries in Central and South America.

—Anthony Man

2

: of or relating to the people, speech, or culture of Spain

Hispanic noun

Hispanicism

hi-ˈspa-nə-ˌsi-zəm 

noun

Hispanicist

hi-ˈspa-nə-sist 

noun

Hispanicize

hi-ˈspa-nə-ˌsīz 

transitive verb

Examples of Hispanic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its population of more than 107,000 is 72% Hispanic and Latino, according to the 2020 Census. — Staff Photographer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

More than half of the DOGE firing targets were Black, the Post found, while nearly one-third were white, 13% were Asian, and 8% were Hispanic. — Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026

Before this year, Democrats had the advantage in that district, which was centered in Osceola County and was heavily Hispanic. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026

Some returning to Democrats While Hispanic residents in Hialeah largely lean Republican, political opinions span the spectrum across Miami-Dade’s Latino communities. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin hispanicus, from Hispania Iberian Peninsula, Spain

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing Hispanic

• non-Hispanic
• pre-Hispanic

Rhymes for Hispanic

• botanic
• brahmanic
• britannic
• galvanic
• germanic
• koranic
• mechanic
• organic
• puranic
• quranic
• romanic
• satanic

Kids Definition

Hispanic

adjective

His·​pan·​ic his-ˈpan-ik 

1

: of or relating to the people, culture, or speech of Spain

2

: of, relating to, or being a person living in the U.S. from or whose ancestors were from Latin America

Hispanic noun