mestizo
noun
mes·ti·zo
me-ˈstē-(ˌ)zō 
plural mestizos
: a person of mixed blood
specifically
: a person of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry compare mestiza
Examples of mestizo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In time, many conquistadors married Taíno women, combining the genes of the New World and Old World to create a new mestizo, or mixed, population, which took on Creole characteristics with the arrival of African slaves in the 16th century.
—
Robert M. Poole, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Oct. 2011
The story of The Settlers follows three horsemen — a young Chilean mestizo, an American mercenary, and led by a reckless British lieutenant — hired by a wealthy Chilean landowner to mark out the perimeter of his extensive property and open a route to the Atlantic Ocean across vast Patagonia.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Is there a risk that this conception of Latino identity as mestizo replicates mainstream Latino erasure of Black or Indigenous people who don’t identify as mixed?
—Jean Guerrero, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2023
The expedition, composed of a young Chilean mestizo, an American mercenary, and led by a reckless British lieutenant, soon turns into a ‘civilizing’ raid.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 May 2023
In Latin America, Latino identity — Latinidad — is frequently incarnated by the symbol of the mestizo, interpreted to be a person of mixed European (often Spanish) and Indigenous descent.
—Carolina A. Mirandacolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2022
Creoles, the descendants of enslaved Africans, make up roughly 24 percent of today’s population, while the majority of Belizeans are Spanish-speaking mestizo, a mixture of Maya and Spanish.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 7 May 2022
At its core was the figure of the mestizo — a concept that would be embraced across Latin America.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2022
For him, that means shows that feature largely white Mexican casts, although Mexico’s population is mostly mixed-race mestizo.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2021
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Robert M. Poole, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Oct. 2011
The story of The Settlers follows three horsemen — a young Chilean mestizo, an American mercenary, and led by a reckless British lieutenant — hired by a wealthy Chilean landowner to mark out the perimeter of his extensive property and open a route to the Atlantic Ocean across vast Patagonia.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Is there a risk that this conception of Latino identity as mestizo replicates mainstream Latino erasure of Black or Indigenous people who don’t identify as mixed?
—Jean Guerrero, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2023
The expedition, composed of a young Chilean mestizo, an American mercenary, and led by a reckless British lieutenant, soon turns into a ‘civilizing’ raid.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 May 2023
In Latin America, Latino identity — Latinidad — is frequently incarnated by the symbol of the mestizo, interpreted to be a person of mixed European (often Spanish) and Indigenous descent.
—Carolina A. Mirandacolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2022
Creoles, the descendants of enslaved Africans, make up roughly 24 percent of today’s population, while the majority of Belizeans are Spanish-speaking mestizo, a mixture of Maya and Spanish.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 7 May 2022
At its core was the figure of the mestizo — a concept that would be embraced across Latin America.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2022
For him, that means shows that feature largely white Mexican casts, although Mexico’s population is mostly mixed-race mestizo.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2021
Cite this Entry
“Mestizo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mestizo. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mestizo
noun
mes·ti·zo
me-ˈstē-zō
plural mestizos
: a person having mixed European and Indigenous American ancestors
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