white supremacy
noun
1
: the belief that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races
The alt-right is a reactionary conservative movement … . It is characterized by an embrace of fascism, white supremacy, and misogyny …—
Constance Grady
Constance Grady2
: the social, economic, and political systems that collectively enable white people to maintain power over people of other races
… [William] Kelley turned his considerable intellect and imagination to the question of what it is like to be white in this country, and what it is like, for all Americans, to live under the conditions of white supremacy …—Kathryn Schulz
Kathryn SchulzExamples of white supremacy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Renderings of Black life in media often serve to buoy the artificiality of white supremacy, as the NAACP explores in our media guide.
—Kyle Bowser, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
Though Black westerns had existed before Buck, this storyline—Black and Native Americans joining forces to oppose white supremacy—made the movie revolutionary, says Mia Mask, a film studies scholar at Vassar College and the author of Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024
The next step was the calling of the Mississippi constitutional convention of 1890, which had the express purpose of encoding white supremacy into the state’s DNA.
—Charles Blow, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2024
Who Sat by the Door (1973) and Melvin Van Peebles’ absurdist comedy Watermelon Man (1970) delivered tart but clear-eyed observations about race, the effects of capitalism in the cultural sphere and the influence of white supremacy on interpersonal relationships.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
At that time, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests, citizens across the United States called for statues of Confederate leaders to be taken down, as many see them as a symbol of slavery and white supremacy.
—Alyssa Johnson, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024
Gun violence reflects the trauma of white supremacy and the intentional economic oppression of Black Americans across centuries.
—Amanda Joy Calhoun, Md, Parents, 4 Feb. 2024
The Lost Cause myth sustained the cultural white supremacy of Southern States in the wake of their defeat in the Civil War.
—TIME, 5 Jan. 2024
Biden in South Carolina:Black voters are asked to 'show up and show out'
Haley weighed in on disputes over the flag – a controversial symbol of the Civil War Confederacy associated with white supremacy – as governor running for reelection.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Kyle Bowser, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
Though Black westerns had existed before Buck, this storyline—Black and Native Americans joining forces to oppose white supremacy—made the movie revolutionary, says Mia Mask, a film studies scholar at Vassar College and the author of Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024
The next step was the calling of the Mississippi constitutional convention of 1890, which had the express purpose of encoding white supremacy into the state’s DNA.
—Charles Blow, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2024
Who Sat by the Door (1973) and Melvin Van Peebles’ absurdist comedy Watermelon Man (1970) delivered tart but clear-eyed observations about race, the effects of capitalism in the cultural sphere and the influence of white supremacy on interpersonal relationships.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
At that time, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests, citizens across the United States called for statues of Confederate leaders to be taken down, as many see them as a symbol of slavery and white supremacy.
—Alyssa Johnson, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024
Gun violence reflects the trauma of white supremacy and the intentional economic oppression of Black Americans across centuries.
—Amanda Joy Calhoun, Md, Parents, 4 Feb. 2024
The Lost Cause myth sustained the cultural white supremacy of Southern States in the wake of their defeat in the Civil War.
—TIME, 5 Jan. 2024
Biden in South Carolina:Black voters are asked to 'show up and show out'
Haley weighed in on disputes over the flag – a controversial symbol of the Civil War Confederacy associated with white supremacy – as governor running for reelection.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'white supremacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“White supremacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20supremacy. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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