non·white (nŏn-hwīt', -wīt') n. A person who is not white. non'white' adj. Usage Note: Many people object to the term nonwhite for referring to people by what they are not rather than what they are. Of course there are occasions, as when discussing an exclusionary policy such as the former system of apartheid in South Africa, when this emphasis is entirely appropriate. In many other cases, if it is relevant to mention race or skin color at all, a term such as person of color is often preferable to nonwhite. See Usage Note at color. |