1
as in segregation
the belief that certain races of people are by birth and nature superior to others
Hitler's declaration of his belief in a "master race" provided irrefutable proof to the world of the inherent and dangerous racism of the Nazi movement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prejudice
hatred of or discrimination against a person or persons based on their race
the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the most deplorable incidents of racism that occurred during the civil rights movement of the 1960s
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of racism
Sometimes the evidence of racism’s history is right underfoot.
—
USA Today, 17 Aug. 2020
Not speaking about or not gaining knowledge of racism's existence -- that stunts the progress of equality.
—S. Mitra Kalita, CNN, 9 July 2020
Emerging data shows that COVID-19 disproportionately affects minority communities, likely due to racism’s downstream effects on socioeconomic opportunities, health outcomes and insurance coverage.
—Isobel Rosenthal, Scientific American, 17 June 2020
The book made theorizing about genetic differences between the races acceptable among certain corners of the mainstream right, paving the way for scientific racism’s resurgence in the Trump era.
—Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for racism
USA Today, 17 Aug. 2020
Not speaking about or not gaining knowledge of racism's existence -- that stunts the progress of equality.
—S. Mitra Kalita, CNN, 9 July 2020
Emerging data shows that COVID-19 disproportionately affects minority communities, likely due to racism’s downstream effects on socioeconomic opportunities, health outcomes and insurance coverage.
—Isobel Rosenthal, Scientific American, 17 June 2020
The book made theorizing about genetic differences between the races acceptable among certain corners of the mainstream right, paving the way for scientific racism’s resurgence in the Trump era.
—Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for racism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racism
Noun
-
White South Africans, whose roots can be traced to settlers arriving under Dutch and British colonial rule, dominated the country through a system of racial segregation known as apartheid from 1948 until its abolishment in the early 1990s.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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With each pot, cast iron skillet, and cooking utensil, Gilmore exemplified this longstanding tradition in Black life, negotiating her identity in America and resisting the ills of racial segregation that pervaded nearly every aspect of her community.—
Time,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Oklahoma Indian Territory who defied poverty and prejudice to become one of America’s first Black female millionaires — at just 11 years old.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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And, as Politico observed, his critics are poised to define him not by policy but by identity—testing whether the city that elected its first Muslim mayor will judge him by his performance or by prejudice.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Racism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racism. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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