racialism

noun

ˈrā-shə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce racialism (audio)
Definition of racialismnext
1
as in racism
the belief that certain races of people are by birth and nature superior to others the racialism of some of the nation's founders seems to contradict their professed belief that "all men are created equal"

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2
as in prejudice
hatred of or discrimination against a person or persons based on their race an ugly incident of racialism that campus police are investigating

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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 racialism Internally, the adoption of multi-racialism as a policy was designed to diminish—even if, initially, imperceptibly—the social and economic influence of white South Africans, and to displace them, at least partly, by the local petite bourgeoisie. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025 In our day, he is reviled for his imperialism, racialism, and even his humorously excessive appreciation for a fine cigar. — Peter J. Travers, National Review, 7 Dec. 2021 Today, certain people talk about racialism, indigenism, and decolonial theories, but beneath these terms hateful and fanatical agitators want a race war. — Harrison Stetler, The New Republic, 24 May 2021 King never seriously entertained the utopian ideas of Black emigration or the romantic racialism of Muhammad’s Black nationalism. — Brandon M. Terry, The New York Review of Books, 11 Mar. 2021 Post-racialism is the promise of working to move beyond the perils of the Black condition in America, an achievement of Black acceleration and exceptionalism; when transcending race was aspirational and thought of to be wholly possible. — Taylor Renee Aldridge, Harper's BAZAAR, 23 Feb. 2021 Hawley describes Roosevelt as driven by a combination of warrior republicanism and crude racialism, which at times led him to adopt autocratic racial theories and dreams of imperial conquest. — Zaid Jilani, Washington Examiner, 31 Dec. 2020 This seed of scientific racialism waxed and reached its peaks in the years around 1900, before waning in the 20th century. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racialism
  1. prejudice
  2. segregation
Noun
  • The permit application from J7 Ready Mix was denied with prejudice during a hearing in Austin.
    — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
  • All the prejudices my characters are designed to expose haven’t just lingered—they’ve metastasized.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of prejudice
Noun
  • Jim Crow segregation, discrimination and systemic racism further depressed the Black population's ability to build wealth that is still largely concentrated among white families.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • American educational history is overflowing with abuse, segregation, substandard structures, and smoldering scorn.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of segregation

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racial
racialism
racialist
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Cite this Entry

“Racialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racialism. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on racialism

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about racialism

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