ETHNICITY Definition & Meaning

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ethnicity

[ eth-nis-i-tee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural ethnicities.

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.

ethnicity

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

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Usage Note

race ²

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Notes

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 .)

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of ethnicity¹

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

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"We are aware of misinformation circulating on social media, specifically X, regarding the circumstances of the incident and the ethnicities of those involved," a spokesperson said.

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The 21-year-old from Ballygawley added: "No one is ever judged in this club for what they believe in or what race, religion or ethnicity they are, everybody is treated as an equal."

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Mahmood had a meeting with Lord Justice Davis last week and set out in a letter that government policy opposes "differential treatment" based on race or ethnicity in the courts.

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“At the same time, we remain committed to expanding access for all qualified students. The UC undergraduate admissions application collects students’ race and ethnicity for statistical purposes only.

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Protesters deny that they excluded anyone based upon religion or ethnicity.

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