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ethnic

adjective

ˈeth-nik How to pronounce ethnic (audio)
Definition of ethnicnext
as in racial
of, relating to, or reflecting the traits exhibited by a group of people with a common ancestry and culture a festival featuring ethnic food and music

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ethnic About 1 million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were driven from their homes. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 The state ranked first in cultural diversity and linguistic diversity, while also ranking second in racial and ethnic diversity and educational-attainment diversity. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 The battle changed England's language, ethnic makeup and rulers. — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026 At some point in the 2010s, ethnic ambiguity became not just a useful way to broaden the casting pool but something fashionable. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ethnic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ethnic
  1. racial
  2. ethnical
Adjective
  • Wells’ family has continued to press for transparency and answers throughout the investigation, amid speculation fueled against the backdrop of Mississippi’s fraught history of racial violence.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Before working in Sacramento, Dains was accused of racial discrimination, workplace bullying and abuse of power while managing the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of racial
Adjective
  • Genocide is defined as attempting to partly or wholly destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    — Ellie Cook Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The United Nations broadly defines genocide as seriously harming or killing members of a group with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2022
Definition of ethnical

Browse Nearby Words

ethics
ethnic
ethnical
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Cite this Entry

“Ethnic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ethnic. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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