ethnic

[ eth-nik ]
/ ˈɛθ nɪk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR ethnic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

a member of an ethnic group.

Origin of ethnic

1325–75; Middle English ethnik heathen < Late Latin ethnicus < Greek ethnikós. See ethno-, -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM ethnic

eth·ni·cal·ly, adverb in·ter·eth·nic, adjective

Words nearby ethnic

ethmoidectomy, ethmoiditis, ethmoturbinal, ethnarch, ethnarchy, ethnic, ethnic cleansing, ethnic minority, ethnical, ethnicity, ethno-

Words related to ethnic

traditional, national, indigenous, tribal, native

Example sentences from the Web for ethnic

British Dictionary definitions for ethnic

ethnic

ethnical

/ (ˈɛθnɪk) /

adjective

relating to or characteristic of a human group having racial, religious, linguistic, and certain other traits in common
relating to the classification of mankind into groups, esp on the basis of racial characteristics
denoting or deriving from the cultural traditions of a group of people the ethnic dances of Slovakia
characteristic of another culture the ethnic look; ethnic food

noun

mainly US and Australian a member of an ethnic group, esp a minority group

Derived forms of ethnic

ethnically, adverb ethnicity (ɛθˈnɪsɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for ethnic

C14 (in the senses: heathen, Gentile): from Late Latin ethnicus, from Greek ethnikos, from ethnos race

usage for ethnic

Referring to a person as an ethnic is broadly acceptable in the US, Australia and Canada, but could well cause offence in the UK and elsewhere