Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

ethnic

[eth-nik]

Origin

adjective

pertaining to or characteristic of a people, especially a group (ethnic group) sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or the like.

referring to the origin, classification, characteristics, etc., of such groups.

being a member of an ethnic group, especially of a group that is a minority within a larger society: ethnic Chinese in San Francisco.

of, pertaining to, or characteristic of members of such a group.

belonging to or deriving from the cultural, racial, religious, or linguistic traditions of a people or country: ethnic dances.

EXPAND

Obsolete. pagan; heathen.

COLLAPSE

noun

a member of an ethnic group.

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Ethnic is always a great word to know.

So is interrobang. Does it mean:

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Origin:
1325–75; Middle English ethnik heathen < Late Latin ethnicus < Greek ethnikós. See ethno-, -ic

Related forms

eth·ni·cal·ly, adverb

in·ter·eth·nic, adjective

Synonyms
1. native, national, indigenous; cultural, racial.

Link To Ethnic

Collins

World English Dictionary

ethnic or ethnical (ˈɛθnɪk)

—*adj*
1.	relating to or characteristic of a human group having racial, religious, linguistic, and certain other traits in common
2.	relating to the classification of mankind into groups, esp on the basis of racial characteristics
3.	denoting or deriving from the cultural traditions of a group of people: the ethnic dances of Slovakia
4.	characteristic of another culture: the ethnic look; ethnic food

—n
5.	chiefly (US), (Austral) a member of an ethnic group, esp a minority group

[C14 (in the senses: heathen, Gentile): from Late Latin ethnicus, from Greek ethnikos, from ethnos race]

usage Referring to a person as an ethnic is broadly acceptable in the US, Australia and Canada, but could well cause offence in the UK and elsewhere

ethnical or ethnical

—*adj*

—n

[C14 (in the senses: heathen, Gentile): from Late Latin ethnicus, from Greek ethnikos, from ethnos race]

usage Referring to a person as an ethnic is broadly acceptable in the US, Australia and Canada, but could well cause offence in the UK and elsewhere

'ethnically or ethnical

—*adv*

ethnicity or ethnical

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

ethnic

late 14c., from Scottish, "heathen, pagan," and having that sense first in English, from Gk. ta ethne, used in Septuagint translation to render Heb. goyim, pl. of goy "nation," especially of non-Israelites, hence "Gentile nation." Ta ethne is from Gk. ethnos "band of people living together, nation,

EXPAND

people," prop. people of one's own kind, from PIE *swedh-no-, suffixed form of base *s(w)e- (see idiom). Sense of "peculiar to a race or nation" is 1851, return to the word's original meaning; that of "different cultural groups" is 1935; and that of "racial, cultural or national minority group" is Amer.Eng. 1945; ethnic cleansing is attested from 1991.

"Although the term 'ethnic cleansing' has come into English usage only recently, its verbal correlates in Czech, French, German, and Polish go back much further." [Jerry Z. Muller, "Us and Them: The Enduring Power of Ethnic Nationalism," Foreign Affairs, March/April 2008] COLLAPSE

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help