ethnicity

noun

eth·​nic·​i·​ty eth-ˈni-sə-tē 

plural ethnicities

1

: ethnic quality or affiliation

aspects of ethnicity

2

: a particular ethnic affiliation or group

students of diverse ethnicities

Synonyms of ethnicity

• nationality
• nation

Examples of ethnicity in a Sentence

a university with a student body of diverse ethnicities

Recent Examples on the Web

Conservative commentators including Matt Walsh argued the film prioritized identity politics, echoing past fan criticisms of sci-fi and fantasy reboots that cast Black and Latino actors as beloved characters of a different race or ethnicity. — ABC News, 13 July 2026

About two-thirds of the MEHKO businesses in Contra Costa County are owned by women, and there are more Hispanic/Latinx and Asian business owners than any other ethnicity, according to the county’s Environmental Health Director Kristian Lucas. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

And today, America has grown by more than 125 million people, becoming far more diverse in race, ethnicity and origin. — NBC news, 5 July 2026

People of all ages and ethnicities waited in a line that was easily an hour long. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ethnicity

• basicity
• chronicity
• complicity
• cyclicity
• duplicity
• facticity
• felicity
• helicity
• plasticity
• publicity
• rusticity
• simplicity