mes·ti·zo
| \ me-ˈstē-(ˌ)zō
\
\
plural mestizos
Definition of mestizo
: a person of mixed blood
specifically
: a person of mixed European and American Indian ancestry
Examples of mestizo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Although increasing numbers of Bolivians identify as mestizo, the population remains heavily indigenous, and the community’s partisans are not easily intimidated.
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Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, "The Fall of Evo Morales," 16 Mar. 2020
Young men from Ecuador’s indigenous minority and mixed race, or mestizo, majority, milled about on streets under the watch of police and a few dozen soldiers.
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San Diego Union-Tribune, "Ecuador indigenous, president strike deal to end protests," 13 Oct. 2019
Latinos in other southwestern states often identify as Mexican American or mestizo, a mixture of Spanish and Native American ancestry.
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Washington Post, "Long a New Mexico icon, Spanish conquistador faces attacks," 10 Oct. 2019
The model has relatively little application elsewhere in Mexico, where the vast majority of the population is of mestizo, or mixed-race, origins.
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Patrick J. Mcdonnell, latimes.com, "One Mexican town revolts against violence and corruption. Six years in, its experiment is working," 10 July 2017
Even though some of the country’s most iconic freedom fighters and early politicians had African roots, their accomplishments fed a celebration of the broader mestizo culture.
—
Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, "“We Are Not Used to People Thinking We Are Beautiful”," 2 June 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mestizo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Cite this Entry
“Mestizo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mestizo. Accessed 18 May. 2021.
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Time Traveler for mestizo
The first known use of mestizo was in 1582
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