1
a
: of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background
ethnic minorities
ethnic enclaves
b
: being a member of a specified ethnic group
an ethnic German
c
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a minority ethnic group
ethnic neighborhoods
ethnic foods
2
: of or relating to the Gentiles or to nations not converted to Christianity : pagan
… ancient ethnic revels of a faith long since forsaken …—
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
chiefly US
: a member of an ethnic group
especially
: a member of a minority group who retains the customs, language, or social views of the group
Synonyms
Examples of ethnic in a Sentence
Adjective
The U.S. has a wide variety of ethnic groups made up of immigrants or their descendants.
a festival featuring ethnic food and music
Recent Examples on the WebNiraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2024
OpenAI’s Dall-E image generator, meanwhile, has taken heat for perpetuating harmful racial and ethnic stereotypes.
—Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ethnic 
Adjective
The changes and the debate around them illustrate the complexity of racial and ethnic identity.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2024
OpenAI’s Dall-E image generator, meanwhile, has taken heat for perpetuating harmful racial and ethnic stereotypes.
—Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ethnic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ethnic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ethnic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnic. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ethnic
1 of 2 noun
eth·nic
ˈeth-nik 
: a member of an ethnic group
especially
: a member of a minority group who keeps customs, language, or social ideas of the group
ethnic
2 of 2 adjective1
: of or relating to groups of people with common traits and customs and a sense of shared identity
ethnic minorities
2
: of or relating to ethnics
ethnic neighborhoods
ethnically
adverb
-ni-k(ə-)lē
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