ethnic

adjective

ˈeth-nik How to pronounce ethnic (audio)
Definition of ethnicnext
as in racial
of, relating to, or reflecting the traits exhibited by a group of people with a common ancestry and culture a festival featuring ethnic food and music

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ethnic Additionally, the study population didn’t represent enough men or diverse ethnic groups, limiting generalizability, Diaz said. — Allison Forsyth, Health, 30 June 2026 That federal expansion provided up to $3,600 per child under age 6 and $3,000 for children ages 6 through 17, and researchers linked it to a sharp drop in child poverty and reduced hardship across racial and ethnic groups. — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026 Violent political unrest in Myanmar following the military takeover in 2021 — which has led into a civil war between the military government and its pro-democracy opponents, as well as ethnic armed groups — has caused an increase in drug production, according to experts. — ABC News, 26 June 2026 Across racial and ethnic groups, Paxton draws 59% of white voters, 13% of Black voters and 29% of Hispanic voters, while Talarico draws 37%, 80% and 61% of those same groups, respectively. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ethnic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ethnic
  1. racial
  2. ethnical
Adjective
  • In fact, Smith has long argued that the NFL has overlooked Black candidates at those positions because of racial bias.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • The crew and the two witnesses said one of the three men got out with a dog and then moved aggressively towards the crew while shouting racial slurs targeted at the photographer.
    — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Definition of racial
Adjective
  • Genocide is defined as attempting to partly or wholly destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    — Ellie Cook Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The United Nations broadly defines genocide as seriously harming or killing members of a group with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2022
Definition of ethnical

Browse Nearby Words

ethics
ethnic
ethnical
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Cite this Entry

“Ethnic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ethnic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ethnic

Nglish: Translation of ethnic for Spanish Speakers

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