1
a
: of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background
ethnic minorities
ethnic enclaves
b
: being a member of a specified ethnic group
an ethnic German
c
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a minority ethnic group
ethnic neighborhoods
ethnic foods
2
: of or relating to the Gentiles or to nations not converted to Christianity : pagan
… ancient ethnic revels of a faith long since forsaken …—
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
chiefly US
: a member of an ethnic group
especially
: a member of a minority group who retains the customs, language, or social views of the group
Synonyms
Examples of ethnic in a Sentence
Adjective
The U.S. has a wide variety of ethnic groups made up of immigrants or their descendants.
a festival featuring ethnic food and music
Recent Examples on the WebDaniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
In comparison to other states in the West, California has the largest gap in racial and ethnic health disparities.
—Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ethnic 
Adjective
Native Americans in Arizona scored in the fourth percentile compared with all people in all states, the lowest of any racial or ethnic group in Arizona by far, the report found.
—Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
In comparison to other states in the West, California has the largest gap in racial and ethnic health disparities.
—Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ethnic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ethnic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ethnic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnic. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ethnic
1 of 2 noun
eth·nic
ˈeth-nik 
: a member of an ethnic group
especially
: a member of a minority group who keeps customs, language, or social ideas of the group
ethnic
2 of 2 adjective1
: of or relating to groups of people with common traits and customs and a sense of shared identity
ethnic minorities
2
: of or relating to ethnics
ethnic neighborhoods
ethnically
adverb
-ni-k(ə-)lē
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