Definition of racismnext
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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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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Recent Examples of Synonyms for racism
Noun
  • That was the case in the United States during the legal segregation of African Americans in the South—some police officers were members of violent white supremacist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Defense attorneys described their confinement as effectively punitive segregation even though the brothers had not committed disciplinary violations.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Barely out of her teens, the Black and Anishinaabe sculptor had already weathered racial prejudice, false accusations and the abrupt end of her education at Oberlin College.
    Andrew Alexander, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Factors affecting the intensity of racial profiling The forcefulness of police prejudice against minority groups depends on historical and social circumstances.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
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“Racism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racism. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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