ethnicity
ethnicity Lexical Profile
ethnicity Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition, language, or ancestry.
"The university's admission policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, or ethnicity."
A specific social or cultural group that shares a distinctive heritage, ancestry, language, or set of traditions.
"The metropolitan area is home to residents from dozens of different ethnicities."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Ethnicity' is frequently distinguished from 'race' and 'nationality' in modern sociology: 'ethnicity' refers to shared cultural traditions, ancestry, and language, 'race' typically refers to perceived physical characteristics, and 'nationality' denotes legal citizenship or country of origin.
• Rhymes for ethnicity
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in English from 'ethnic' and '-ity', ultimately tracing back to the Ancient Greek noun 'ethnos', meaning 'nation', 'tribe', or 'band of people living together'. Originally used in the 18th century to mean 'heathendom' or 'paganism', it acquired its modern sociological sense of cultural group identity in the mid-20th century.