minstrel

noun

min·strel | \ ˈmin(t)-strəl

Definition of minstrel

1 : one of a class of medieval musical entertainers especially : a singer of verses to the accompaniment of a harp wandering minstrels

2a : musician

b : poet

3a : a member of a type of performance troupe caricaturing black performers that originated in the U.S. in the early 19th century

Note: The acts of minstrels, who typically performed in blackface, featured exaggerated and inaccurate representations of black people in songs, dances, and comic dialogue. The popularity of minstrel shows in their heyday played a significant role in promoting negative racial stereotypes. Professional minstrel shows had fallen out of favor and effectively disappeared by the mid-20th century.

b : a performance by a troupe of minstrels : a minstrel show

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about minstrel

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Examples of minstrel in a Sentence

Edna St. Vincent Millay was unofficially the minstrel of Maine, as her poetry celebrates its coast and countryside.

Recent Examples on the Web

The automated calls are narrated by someone pretending to be Gillum and using an exaggerated minstrel dialect with jungle noises in the background. — Dylan Scott, Vox, "How racist robocalls and an FBI inquiry are shaking up the Florida governor’s race," 7 Nov. 2018 Cartoon characters’ rubberiness [sic], their jazziness, their cheerful buoyance and idleness, all chimed with popular images of African Americans, already embodied in minstrel shows. — John Canemaker, WSJ, "Book Review: Building a Better Mouse," 18 Jan. 2019 The minstrel era is a controversial chapter in U.S. entertainment culture, with songs meant to mock black people. — Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, "This mysterious recording was the missing musical link to an era when racism was the tune," 22 June 2018 The first minstrel shows were performed in the 1830s, and a popular blackface character, Jim Crow, became the name of racist policies against African-Americans more than a century later. — Megan Friedman, Good Housekeeping, "Here's Everything You Need to Know About Megyn Kelly’s NBC Exit," 26 Oct. 2018 As Jenée Desmond-Harris explained for Vox in 2014, blackface dates back to minstrel shows in the mid- to late 19th century. — P.r. Lockhart, Vox, "Megyn Kelly’s initial defense of blackface ignored the practice’s deeply racist history," 24 Oct. 2018 While Guardian speculates the title is a reference to minstrel shows, the outlet also points to a 1985 Prince song with the same name. — Zoe Haylock, The Hollywood Reporter, "6 Memorable Moments From Chris Rock's 'Tamborine'," 14 Feb. 2018 Consider Glover's dancing, presumably choreographed to mimic a minstrel character; the murder of choir singers, evoking the Charleston church massacre; and death riding in on a white horse. — Sonia Rao, chicagotribune.com, "A new era of political music videos is born," 14 June 2018 Amos ’n’ Andy was a comedy series featuring African-American actors (albeit a deeply problematic one criticized for its depiction of African-Americans and its basis in a radio show that used minstrel stereotypes). — Jeff Lipsky, HWD, "Milo Ventimiglia, Sara Gilbert, Constance Wu, and Other TV Moms and Dads Sound Off," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'minstrel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for minstrel

Middle English menestral, menstral, mynstral, borrowed from Anglo-French menestral, menestrel "servant,attendant,official,workman,musicalentertainer," borrowed from Medieval Latin ministeriālis "servant,functionaryinalord's household, official," going back to Late Latin, "imperial official," noun derivative of ministeriālis "serving, performing a duty" — more at ministerial

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