English Explanatory Dictionary

racism

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The belief that there are distinct human races with inherent differences which determine their abilities, and generally that some are superior and others inferior.
  2. The policies, practices, or systems (e.g. government or political) promoting this belief or promoting the dominance of one or more races over others.
  3. Prejudice or discrimination based upon race or ethnicity; (countable) an action of such discrimination.

Pronunciation

/ˈɹeɪsɪzm̩/ en-us-racism.ogg

Word forms

racism racisms

Etymology

Borrowed from French racisme, equivalent to race + -ism.

Synonyms

ethnicism† racialism racism

Related words

antiracist anti-racist racist racistic ADL action Afrocentrism anti-semitism antisemitism apartheid black supremacy civil rights movement cultural anthropology cultural relativism ethnic majority ethnic minority ethnocentrism ethnonationalism eugenics Eurocentrism hate crime historical particularism intolerance KKK Ku Klux Klan monogenism multiculturalism nationalism otherness political correctness polygenism racialism racial profiling social Darwinism supremacism tolerance unilineal evolution white supremacy xenophobia xenophobism clannism scientific racism

Derived words

antiracism anti-racism biological racism chopstickism cryptoracism cyberracism environmental racism ethnoracism gaycism gracism hyperracism institutional racism linguicism metaracism neoracism non-racism nonracism postracism proto-racism pseudoracism quasiracism racism of low expectations reverse racism scientific racism systemic racism ultraracism unracism xenoracism
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