ethnicity

[ eth-nis-i-tee ]
/ ɛθˈnɪs ɪ ti /

noun, plural eth·nic·i·ties.

an ethnic group; a social group that shares a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or the like: Representatives of several ethnicities were present.
ethnic traits, background, allegiance, or association: The graph shows class enrollment by gender and ethnicity.

Origin of ethnicity

1765–75, for earlier sense; ethnic + -ity

Example sentences from the Web for ethnicity

Cultural definitions for ethnicity

ethnicity
[ (eth-nis-uh-tee) ]

Identity with or membership in a particular racial, national, or cultural group and observance of that group's customs, beliefs, and language.

notes for ethnicity

Many minority groups in the United States maintain strong ethnic identity; especially in cities, immigrants are often attracted to ethnic communities established by people from their own country, communities in which many traditional cultural features are maintained. ( See melting pot.)