ethnic
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ethnic
relating to a religious, racial, or cultural group
Not to be confused with:
ethic – system of moral principles or values
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
eth·nic
(ĕth′nĭk)adj.
1.
a. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a group of people sharing a common cultural or national heritage and often sharing a common language or religion.
b. Being a member of a particular ethnic group, especially belonging to a national group by heritage or culture but residing outside its national boundaries: ethnic Hungarians living in northern Serbia.
c. Of, relating to, or distinctive of members of such a group: ethnic restaurants; ethnic art.
2. Archaic Relating to a people not Christian or Jewish.
n.
A member of a particular ethnic group, especially one who maintains the language or customs of the group.
[Middle English, heathen, from Late Latin ethnicus, from Greek ethnikos, from ethnos, people, nation; see s(w)e- in Indo-European roots.]
Word History: When it is said in a Middle English text written before 1400 that a part of a temple fell down and "mad a gret distruccione of ethnykis," one wonders which ethnicity was singled out for death. The word ethnic in this context, however, means "gentile," coming as it does from the Greek adjective ethnikos, meaning "national, foreign, gentile." The adjective is derived from the noun ethnos, "people, nation, foreign people," that in the plural phrase ta ethnē meant "foreign nations." In translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, this phrase was used for Hebrew gōyīm, "gentiles"; hence the sense of the noun in the Middle English quotation. The current sense of the word emerged in the 19th century, probably under the influence of other words going back to Greek ethnos, such as ethnography and ethnology.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ethnic
(ˈɛθnɪk) orethnical
adj
1. (Anthropology & Ethnology) relating to or characteristic of a human group having racial, religious, linguistic, and certain other traits in common
2. (Anthropology & Ethnology) relating to the classification of mankind into groups, esp on the basis of racial characteristics
3. (Sociology) denoting or deriving from the cultural traditions of a group of people: the ethnic dances of Slovakia.
4. characteristic of another culture: the ethnic look; ethnic food.
n
chiefly US and Austral a member of an ethnic group, esp a minority group
[C14 (in the senses: heathen, Gentile): from Late Latin ethnicus, from Greek ethnikos, from ethnos race]
ˈethnically adv
ethnicity n
Usage: 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
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
eth•nic
(ˈɛθ nɪk)adj.
1. pertaining to or characteristic of a people, esp. a group (eth′nic group′) sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, etc.
2. being a member of an ethnic group, esp. a group that is a minority within a larger society: ethnic Chinese in San Francisco.
3. belonging to or deriving from the cultural traditions of a people or country: ethnic dances.
4. Obs. pagan; heathen.
n. 5. a member of an ethnic group.
eth′ni•cal•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | ethnic - a person who is a member of an ethnic group |
| Adj. | 1. | ethnic - denoting or deriving from or distinctive of the ways of living built up by a group of people; "influenced by ethnic and cultural ties"- J.F.Kennedy; "ethnic food" social - living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups; "a human being is a social animal"; "mature social behavior" |
| 2. | ethnic - not acknowledging the God of Christianity and Judaism and Islam irreligious - hostile or indifferent to religion |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
ethnic
ethnicaladjective cultural, national, traditional, native, folk, racial, genetic, indigenous The country's population of over 40 million people is made up of many ethnic groups.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
ethnic
[ˈeθnɪk]A. ADJ
B. N (esp US) (= person) miembro de una minoría étnica
white ethnic miembro de una minoría étnica de raza blanca
white ethnic miembro de una minoría étnica de raza blanca
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
ethnic
(ˈeθnik) adjective of nations or races of mankind or their customs, dress, food etc. ethnic groups/dances.étnico
ethnology (eθˈnolədʒi) noun the study of the different races of mankind. etnología
ˌethnoˈlogical (-ˈlo-) adjectiveethˈnologist nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
ethnic
→ étnicoMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
ethnic
a. étnico, rel. a la raza
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
ethnic
adj étnicoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.